Father of Mine
by WriterKC
Summary: Spinoff of the fanfic Scarred by Definitionofawriter. Detectives Benson and Stabler of the San Diego Special Victims Unit take over the high profile child abuse case against a California defense attorney who is only known for his alias 'Mr. Martin', and a startling discovery into the past reopens a 32 year old case that makes both Nina and Olivia question everything. Fabina and EO
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is a crossover spinoff of the House of Anubis Fanfiction: Scarred by Definitionofawriter. If you have not read that yet, you may want to for this story to make sense, as it picks up after chapter 60 when Nina was rushed to the hospital. If you've watched SVU, this story is the investigation part of the case leading up to the trial, which has already been written in** _ **Scarred.**_

 **For the SVU part of this: Setting is around season 8, for the purpose of the character's ages making since with the plot, (However the HOA/Scarred part is how it was written). Elliot is divorced; Kathy took his kids and moved to Florida with her new boyfriend. Olivia and Elliot have been together ever since she returned from Oregon (we'll say they got together after their conversation on the steps in the episode 'Burned'. The situation with Simon and the Hollister case is still going on as well. Main difference is in this story to fit with the plot of Scarred…the precinct/squad is in California instead of New York.**

 **Summary: Detectives Benson and Stabler of the San Diego Special Victims Unit take over the high profile child abuse case against a California defense attorney who is only known for his alias 'Mr. Martin', and a startling discovery into the past reopens a 32 year old case that makes both Nina and Olivia question everything they thought they knew.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the plot of** _ **Scarred**_ **, though some things in this story will be a little different, the ideas/credit belongs to Definitionofawriter. I also don't own House of Anubis or Law and order SVU because if I did Fabina and Bensler would have been together and Nina and Elliot would never have left those shows. Title 'Father of Mine' is based off the song by Everclear which I heard in the car yesterday while planning out my ideas for this.**

 **Warning: This story is dark because of the plot of 'Scarred' and the nature of the cases/investigations the Special Victims Unit handles. Some parts may be triggering, read with caution.**

 **If you have not read** _ **Scarred**_ **, this is a spoiler alert because this first part is the end of Chapter 60 as Definitionofawriter wrote it. Underlined parts indicate that the quotes come from Scarred and are not my original words. This first part is Fabian's POV.**

 _I opened the door, and then another. A bathroom, a guest room, the laundry room. "NINA! NINA, CALL OUT!" Her stepfather seemed to get more panicked with each step I took and I hoped that meant I was heading in the right direction. There was one door left, at the end of the hall, with a door that was unlike the others._

" _Fabian Rutter, freeze right there!" he shouted, but he was too late, I'd already opened the door._

 _And a part of me wished I hadn't._

 _Years from now, I knew I would still remember the stench of the room with a startling clarity. It reeked of piss and crap, of puke, of death. It was rancid, and I would've turned away if not for the sight before me._

" _Holy shit."_

 _Nina was lying unconscious on the bed. Her shirt was shredded, revealing more of her body than I'd ever seen, and she wasn't wearing pants. Her left arm was twisted in a very unnatural way, and bruises littered her face. Blood was caked under her, painted on her chest and stomach, plastered in her hair. I couldn't tell one injury from the other, and I had to blink to assure myself that it was real._

 _A hand came down hard on my shoulder, but I yanked away from it and released the tie on my guitar strap almost by instinct. "Get the hell out of here! I'm handling this. She's going to be fine, Rutter. I was patching her up before you came in all white knight style." He sneered._

" _You sick bastard! I'm not going anywhere!"_

 _When he lunged for me, my own pocketknife in hand that I'd given to Nina, I swung like there was no tomorrow._

 _The guitar smashed right into his side and sent him a few steps back, but another slam later and he was on the floor in the hallway. The guitar splintered, large cracks appearing in its side and I raised it again, again. It came down on his chest so hard that the bottom half of it shattered into countless strips of wood, and I relished in his scream._

 _Mark and Haru, who hadn't yet made it into Nina's room, were staring at me. I'd knocked him nearly unconscious in 15 seconds tops. "It was the only useful weapon I could bring with me on the plane," I spat. "How's that for a reason?"_

 _My hands were shaking, and Haru gripped my arm tightly. "Fabian, leave him. Nina matters more. We'll handle him." Her name didn't calm me, only sent me into a larger panic. I just spent a minute saving our lives from him instead of saving her. I raced back into the room, and I could hear the boys' gasps behind me as they saw her for the first time._

 _"Nina?" I dove for the bed, climbing onto it and cringing as the blood soaked into my pants. "Nina, speak to me, darling." I pressed my fingers to the underside of her jaw, and I might have cried out when I felt a very faint, very weak pumping against my fingers. There was a slow, shallow rise and fall of her chest, and each breath was ragged._

 _"Rutter, you need to leave," the stepfather said from the hallway, still down on the ground. "I can heal her just fine. She's had worse injuries before."_

 _I may have snarled at him. "I called 911 just before I got here. I figured you'd at least beat her up. They'll be here any minute." I couldn't see his face, but I knew what it had to look like._

 _"You didn't."_

 _"I. Did."_

 _A second later, he was scrambling to get onto his feet. Just as quickly, Mark and Haru were onto him, dragging him into the room. "Put him in the closet," I snapped, jerked my head at the door so I didn't have to take my hands away from what I was doing. My shirt was off and torn in a few pieces and I was pressing two to the worst of the wounds. I heard the open of a door, a thump, a cry, and a door closing. "Mark, find me some towels. Haru, call 911 again and see if you can rush that ambulance." They left, and I was alone with her once more._

 _"Nina," I called. "NINA." I lifted her into my arms as gently as I could, and the pain seemed to rouse her a little. She groaned a little. "Nina, wake up, please. You have to wake up!"_

 _Her eyes opened, but there was no recognition in them when they focused on me. I thought I heard sirens in the distance, but I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or not. Mark tossed me a couple of towels and left again, saying something that I didn't hear._

 _"You have to stay alive, yeah? The police are coming, and they'll take you to the hospital and they'll get you patched up and you'll be okay and you can come back to Anubis House with me. You'll never have to go back to your stepfather, never," I rambled. "I promise. You just have to keep breathing. Do you hear that, Nina? Stay. Alive." My words were slurring together in my panic. The sirens had gotten louder, and I hoped that meant they were real._

 _Nina's eyes closed again._

 _"NINA!" I shouted, and her eyes rolled open again. Tears were pooling in her eyes, and there was still no light of familiarity in them. "Stay awake. Please. For me. I'm Fabian, remember? I'm your best friend. I'm been there for you for everything and I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you this time. I'm the one who values your life far more than my own. I'm the one who loves you."_

 _The tears spilled, and her previously blank expression was filled with pain. "Fabian…" My name from her mouth, as always, was the sweetest music I'd ever heard. I gripped her hand in mine._

 _"I love you. I love you, and I won't let you be taken away from me. I'm sorry I never told you. I tried, but it was never the right time." A door banged against the wall somewhere. The sirens had become deafening. "I love you, Nina."_

 _Her eyes glossed over, and the quick moment where she'd seen me was gone. "I tried," she rasped weakly. "Everything dies. Everything ends."_

 _People flooded the room before I could form a response. Somewhere in my hazy mind, I recognized them as police, and I cried out in relief. "Please, you need to help her. She's dying."_

 _She's dying._

 _One of them turned on their walkie talkie. "We need a stretcher in here ASAP. We have a girl who's in critical condition."_

 _No, they won't be able to get the stretcher in her fast enough. We need to get her to the hospital now. And with that thought, I mentally apologized to Nina and stood, pressing her tighter against my chest. Her broken arm hung limply, swinging with the movements._

 _She didn't cry out._

 _And she wasn't breathing._

 _They were still pulling the stretcher out of the ambulance when I made it out of the house. I shook my head frantically, motioning for them to pull it back in. I climbed into the back and laid her on it._

 _"Fabian!" Mark called from the front steps. "Are you going with her?"_

 _I nodded and thought as quickly as I could while they strapped her in. "Stay and tell them what happened here. Only about here. We need lawyers for Nina before delving further back. " The words poured out of me, but my brain was a constant Nina Nina Nina that drowned all other thoughts._

 _Mark nodded solemnly just as they shut the doors on us, and I saw Haru take him into his arms and hug him. Then the vehicle was taking off, and they were gone from sight._

 _I watched with weary eyes as they scrambled to wrap still-bleeding wounds and make sure her heart kept beating. At some point what remained of her clothes was taken off, but I barely noticed. Her breathing returned, but then it was lost again. When they parked and took her out, I saw my legs moving, running after them, running after her, but I didn't feel them. There was a trail of blood left behind, and I wasn't sure if I was bleeding or if Nina was still losing more blood._

 _She still wasn't breathing. And they'd lost her heartbeat._

 _What I did hear was the nurse's words when I tried to follow them into ICU._

 _"I'm sorry young man, but you can't go in there." Her voice was full of pity, but I could care less. I have to get in there._

 _"Please, you don't… understand. I… she… I love her. She… needs me. I… need… her." My words were punctuated with sharp gasps. I couldn't get enough air into my lungs and the world was blurring. "P-Please, I need to… get in."_

 _She sighed. "I truly am sorry, but you can't- oh!" I lost control of my body, and my knees collapsed from below my, bringing me to the floor with a loud crack as my head rebounded against the tile. I should've seen the nurse's shoes, the hospital floor, but I didn't._

 _All I saw was Nina, lying in her own pool of blood on her bed, whose last thought had likely been of how alone she was when she died._

 _And it was the last thing I saw before the claws of unconsciousness dragged me into its dark waters._

 **1-6 Precinct: San Diego, California SVU**

Olivia Benson signed a page of the mountain of paper work she and her partner/boyfriend, Elliot Stabler had been working on all morning before reaching over to his desk to steal a fry and a pickle from his sandwich.

"Hey! Why is it that your cravings are always whatever is on _my_ plate?" He teased, peering over at her with his 'Stabler smirk'. She glared at him.

"Because I wouldn't be _having_ them if it weren't for you so the least you can do is share. Besides, I already ate my lunch and yours tastes better." She smirked back while taking a whole bite of his sandwich.

"You are an evil, evil woman."

"Great choice of words from a man who wants to sleep on the couch tonight." He was about to respond when Captain Don Cragen rushed out of his office, looking stressed.

"You two can figure out your sleeping arrangements later, you won't be going home for a while."

"New case?" He nodded grimly.

"You need to get to Greenview Hospital as fast as you can, the suspect is already in custody, and Munch and Fin are on their way to pick him up."

"The victim?"

"Fighting for her life." He looks at Elliot before responding, knowing that the next sentence would hit the devoted, extremely protective father of 4, and expecting father of 1 like a ton of bricks. Knowing that his detective would put his job on the line for this case. Knowing that the defensive wounds their latest perp had would feel like paper cuts when Elliot Stabler got ahold of him. "Elliot-"

"It's a kid isn't it? Cap we've had cases like this before, I can handle it."

"The last time you had a case that was even close to this bad your kids weren't several states away from you and you didn't have a pregnant girlfriend."

"You want to argue that this is too personal for us Cap? I'm the one who's pregnant!" Olivia responded in defense of her partner.

"You two are the best for her to have on her side, but I'm just warning you in advance. IAB is allowing me to let you two remain partners as long as your personal circumstances don't interfere with your ability to do your job." He handed them a slip of paper with the room number on it. "Don't make me regret giving you this case." He swallowed hard before continuing.

"Victim is a 16 year old girl named Nina Martin, beaten within an inch of her life by her stepfather. Witnesses say he flew to England where she was attending boarding school and kidnapped her."

"She's Kathleen's age." Elliot had to choke down the nausea building in his throat. Olivia looked at her partner, his fists clenching, trying to control his anger. She squeezed his hand before turning to the captain.

"Custody battle? Child abuse?"

"How'd he get her all the way from England without raising suspicions?"

"You're the detectives, find out…and then nail this piece of crap."

They made it to the car and sped out of the parking lot, Elliot's hands were on the steering wheel in a death grip.

"Her stepfather!? What kind of sick-"

"I don't think we are ever going to understand the 'why' in these cases El, I don't think anyone can."

"How are you feeling? Do you need-"

"I'm fine El, I'm not that far along yet. The doctor said I could keep working for now but just to be careful." He leans over once they park and plants a gentle kiss on her belly.

"I know, I just want you both safe and healthy" He leans back up to kiss her and leans his forehead against hers.

"I love you two so much." The reality of the case setting in hard, like it always did when kids were involved.

"We love you more. Don't we little one? Can you say hello to your daddy?" She feels a little flutter in her stomach right under Elliot's hand and kisses him quickly one last time before they get out of the car and rush into the hospital. They can be Elliot and Olivia at home later, for now Benson and Stabler are needed on the scene.

 **A/n: This was just an introductory chapter; next chapter will be longer and will have other HOA/Scarred characters as the squad continues the investigation.**

 **Let me know what you think**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the plot of** ** _Scarred_** **, though some things in this story will be a little different, the ideas/credit belongs to Definitionofawriter. I also don't own House of Anubis or Law and order SVU because if I did Fabina and Bensler would have been together and Nina and Elliot would never have left those shows. The title 'Father of Mine' is based off the song by Everclear which I heard in the car while planning out my ideas for this.**

 **Warning: This story is dark because of the plot of 'Scarred' and the nature of the cases/investigations the Special Victims Unit handles. This chapter and the one after in particular contain a further description of her injuries and an intense interrogation scene which may be triggering for some. If so I would recommend skipping over the last part of this one and the first part of the next one. Read with caution.**

 **Greenview Hospital Trauma Unit**

The hospital was a madhouse. Phones ringing off the hook, Doctors and nurses rushing up and down the hallway, patients with life-threatening injuries being rolled in like clockwork, their families huddled in the waiting room. Some were crying, some looked shocked, but it was the young man who rushed up to them the minute they showed their badges to the receptionist who caught their full attention. He was out of breath, and shaking like he had just run a marathon. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked terrified, crippled with worry.

"E-excuse me?" His nerves making his British accent thicker. He clears his throat before continuing. "Are you the detectives for…Nina Martin's case?" Saying her name feels like a punch of fear to the gut. He has no idea what's going on with her now, he had passed out in the hospital and hadn't been told anything despite begging to see her. Responding in the professional, but reassuring tone she was trained to use when speaking with family members of the victims, Olivia turns to the young man.

"Yes, I'm Detective Benson, this is my partner Detective Stabler, we're from the Special Victims Unit-"

"Special Victims-so you're not affiliated with the precinct her stepfather works cases with? You're not going to try to let him off or-"

"Only thing I want to let that piece of scum off right now is the roof of our precinct in the middle of rush hour traffic but my Captain would have my shield so I'll use him as a punching bag instead. Elliot Stabler, the SVU hothead, and you are?" The two shake hands firmly as if signing a contract, vowing to protect Nina at all costs, no matter what it takes.

"Fabian Rutter, the guy who would gladly help you throw him off the roof." He growls in a mix of fear and rage. Olivia rolls her eyes at the 'manly banter' but all three understand the seriousness of the case, so she continues.

"Mr. Rutter-" Hearing the woman in front of him call him 'Mr.' like Nina had to with men like her stepfather for so many years causes bile to rise in the back of his throat, and he swallows hard. Olivia notes the way he has to squeeze his eyes shut before responding, as if it physically pains him as if blocking out a memory.

"Please… call me Fabian, after everything her stepfather made her say to him-" He shakes his head in anger and disgust towards the man responsible for the suffering of the woman he loved. "If I hear one more 'sir' or 'mr' I'm going to lose it. Please." Olivia nods in understanding. Her heart breaking at the pain the man is in, and even more at the knowledge of what Nina must have gone through.

"You can call me Olivia then." She gives him a small, reassuring smile before continuing.

"Fabian, our captain told us that Nina had been attending boarding school in England, is that where you know her from?" Ok, he thought, at least the easy questions are first.

"Yes, it's her first year. We go to an art school, and Nina was accepted on scholarship for a project she did. We both live in Anubis House."

"Can you think of anything she may have told you that could explain why her stepfather did this? Is this a one-time incident, like a custody-"She starts but knows that the situation is likely far worse and has gone on far longer than just a 'custody dispute'. Fabian looks around, knowing that the hard questions need to be answered but wanting to give Nina the courtesy of privacy, not wanting to betray her trust by letting more people know than necessary.

"Would you mind if we continued this conversation somewhere else? I don't want to leave her in case something happens but-"

"Why don't we go down to our car, that way you'll still be close to the hospital but it will be easier for us to talk?" Elliot suggested. Fabian took one last hesitant glance in the direction Nina was rushed in by the doctors. Not wanting to leave her for even a few minutes. Wanting instead to shield her from any more danger, protect her like he had promised…and failed. He watched every doctor pass by; wishing one of them would tell him if she was even still alive.

He knew though, that the only way he could help her right now was to talk to the detectives and make sure her stepfather paid for what he did, make sure he could never hurt her again.

"M-Fabian-" Elliot catches himself before responding, he had a dark feeling he wouldn't want to be referred to as 'Mr.' or 'sir' either after this case based on the young man's reaction to the title earlier. "I promise this won't take long, we just have a few questions." Fabian nodded before another thought struck him.

"Please tell me you caught him, tell me he's-"

"Two of our co-workers have him in their custody and are taking him back to the station."

"Thank god."

"I promise you that we will do everything we can to make sure Nina is safe and never has to see her stepfather again, that he's locked up for good and that she can stay at your school. But, we are going to need your help."

"Of-of course, whatever you need."

 **X**

As long as he lived, Fabian Rutter didn't think he would ever be able to even think about everything the girl who had become his best friend had gone through without breaking down and without getting sick to his stomach. He didn't think he'd ever get the horrifying images from his mind.

Having to recount out loud the years of abuse and torture Nina endured at the hands of the man who was supposed to care for her like a father should to the detectives felt like a dagger to his heart.

He made no attempt at hiding his tears or his anger, detailing an outline of the things he had learned since meeting Nina. How traumatized she had been when she first arrived, that her stepfather had attacked her when visiting her both times, and that he had the horrific abuse had gone on since she was 4.

Fabian wasn't ready to show them the contents of the folder of evidence he had gathered yet ( **A/n: info on the folder is in chapter 52 of** ** _Scarred)_** , the one that Nina had gotten so upset with him for having without her knowledge. He wanted to respect her wishes. After all, there was still a chance she could survive and if so, she deserved to have control over who saw that folder. Although he would encourage her to at least allow him to discuss parts of it since it would help make the case against her stepfather stronger, he knew at the end of the day that it was _her_ story to tell…not his.

Nausea that had been building finally crept up into his throat and sent him racing for the bathroom. He hadn't eaten since he was on the plane, the thought of food when Nina had most likely been starved during the week her stepfather had held her captive made him sick.

What added to his already sick feeling was seeing a trauma surgeon walking towards him, blood on his scrubs that had no doubt came from a patient and from the way the man was looking at him…he knew exactly who that patient was.

"Nina Martin's family?"

"Yes?" Fabian was on his feet immediately, blood or not…he _was_ her family, and god help this man if he withheld information from him just because he wasn't an actual relative. He wanted to scoff at the irony, the only man who was even considered her relative or guardian didn't deserve that title, ever.

"How are you related sir?" He could have punched him right then.

"I'm her boyfriend, Fabian Rutter, please just tell me she's alive…tell me she'll be ok!" Emotionally he knew that the idea of Nina being 'ok' was wishful thinking, and it definitely would not happen overnight. But physically? Physically she _had_ to be ok, she _had_ to be alive because he didn't think, no he _knew_ he would never forgive himself if he lost her. He would never forgive himself if she had died and never heard him tell her he loved her when she was fighting to stay alive at that house. He would never forgive himself if her last memory was of pain and fear and not being held in the arms of someone who loved her. He also knew that the idea of having to go on in a world without Nina by his side was something he wouldn't recover from.

"It was touch and go for a while, but we got her heartbeat back, she's alive-" Fabian felt like he would pass out from relief

"Thank god…I need to see her. Please let me see her."

"You will be able to once she's safe to transport to ICU, but I need to warn you about something first." The seriousness in the surgeon's tone caused Fabian to swallow a lump in his throat, and the next sentence caused him to stop breathing.

"Due to the seriousness of her injuries, we had to place Miss Martin in a medically induced coma."

"A c-coma? She's in a coma?"

"She will wake up eventually, but it may take a couple weeks for her body to recover enough. She needs time to rest."

"But-but you think she's going to be ok?"

"She has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but eventually I believe she will be."

Despite the fear and hardships he knew were ahead…it was the best thing Fabian had heard since arriving in California just over 24 hours ago.

 **X**

The drive back to the precinct was silent. Elliot's barely restrained anger at the perp they were on their way to question had already been taken out on a man sitting in the lobby who asked if Olivia was single and a driver on the highway that "had the audacity to cut off a car with 2 cops in it and then slow down to 7 miles under the speed limit for 15 minutes" which made the drive even longer. Olivia cradled their unborn baby, her hands resting protectively on the bump as she often did after a case involving children since finding out she was pregnant. It was her way of shielding him or her from the horrors of the world. A steady stream of tears fell from her eyes and she made no effort to hide them after what they had heard from Fabian, and then from Nina's doctor. The knowledge that she herself would become a mother in just a few months made the case even more heartbreaking. At work, she would try to be the tough, professional cop she always was. Channeling her anger and sorrow into fighting for the victims, and making sure the perps are left to rot. In the safety of the squad car though, with her partner; the man she loved and the father of her baby by her side, she allowed her self time to grieve. Elliot said nothing, simply parked, squeezed her hand, and kissed her lightly on the head 3 times. His way of saying 'I love you' without words because neither one of them knew what to say at that moment. They both just wanted to get inside; knowing that despite the intense hatred they felt for the man currently being held in their interrogation room, they had to talk to him to move forward with the investigation. They had to do this, every painful step, for Nina, because as they often responded when asked how they do their jobs everyday…'someone has to'

"Alright, where is this creep? He lawyered up yet?" are the first words out of Elliot's mouth when the partners enter the squad room.

"He claims he doesn't need one because he _is_ one, and apparently thinks he can justify away all his crimes." Fin responds and Elliot cracks his knuckles, sending an angry look in the direction of the interrogation room.

"Let me guess, the old 'she needed to be disciplined' defense?"

John Munch looks up from his computer, peering at the other 3 detectives over his glasses.

"He tried giving us a sob story on the ride to the station about how his stepdaughter drove him to drink out of grief because she killed his wife…when she was 4."

"You've gotta be freaking kidding me."

"Oh yeah, whining about how he wanted to make her suffer the way he suffered…blah blah blah. Oh, and he wants to press charges against her boyfriend…says he has injuries from being attacked with a guitar."

"I'd like to give the kid a medal, then go in there and make those wounds feel like paper cuts…just give me 10 minutes in there with that psycho, I swear to god-" Elliot growled and Olivia, though wanting to join her partner rather than stop him, put a hand on his shoulder. She could feel his muscles relax under her touch.

"So how on earth does he claim a _4-year-old_ killed her mother?" Olivia exclaims, a protective hand resting on her stomach again to shelter her own child.

"Cause he's a lunatic. He said Nina made his wife late for a meeting and she was killed in a car crash by a drunk driver…who was never caught." Munch turns back to his computer, typing a few things before speaking again. "If only there was some kind of technology for the government to keep an eye on us and a record of our pasts." The other detectives rolled their eyes at the man known as SVU's 'conspiracy nut', but Olivia and Elliot still walked over to his desk to see what he found. Their Captain joined them a moment later.

"I'll call Dr. Huang; find out just how much he thinks this guy's _really_ grieving. Benson, Stabler, go in there and grill him…but Olivia, be careful, he's sadistic enough to torture his own stepchild, so I don't think he'd have a problem hurting a pregnant cop-"

"Cap just let me do my job; I can take care of myself, and besides Elliot will be with me."

"Elliot, as much as I wouldn't mind giving that creep a few bruises myself, remember what I said about IAB."

"Yeah, I do, no promises…but I'll try to keep him conscious." Elliot turns back for a moment as they start to walk away. "If he so much as looks at Olivia funny though-" She rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness, which seemed to get stronger since they became life partners in addition to work partners.

The two partners print off the page Munch found, pick up a file from Fin's desk and head to the interrogation room.

 **X**

A half hour after learning that Nina was placed under a medically induced coma, Fabian found himself in a chair next to her bed, rooting himself to the spot, knowing that it would take nothing short of someone physically forcing him to make him leave her room.

She had injuries everywhere, and he was almost afraid to even hold her hand, wondering if that would cause her more pain _. She had lost way to much blood, she had tubes sticking out from various spots of her body and she was restrained to the bed with cuffs so she didn't injure herself further._ _ **A/N: description of injuries paraphrased from chapter 61.**_ _Her right arm and left leg were in a cast_ , and he remembered with more tears welling up in his eyes tidbits of what he had overheard her doctor tell detectives Benson and Stabler was one of the worst child abuse cases he had seen in his almost 20 years on the job.

He knew they had to ask for their case, and there were parts he already knew, but it was still sickening to hear.

Her body was still littered with scars, new and old. Nail marks and cigarette burns were fresh, leading SVU to request a rape kit done to collect evidence and link her stepfather to the crime.

His heart stopped when the doctor said the kit showed evidence of not only past childhood trauma, confirming Fabian's statement that the beatings and starvation had been going on for 12 years, and the sexual abuse since she was 10, but repeated and severe recent traumatic injury to her pelvis and the lower region. He couldn't bring himself to even _think_ about what that meant. The kit also found DNA which the detectives asked to be sent to the lab as procedure, not that they didn't already know exactly who was responsible. Fabian almost smirked at the fact that her stepfather, who wanted everyone to think he knew how to get away with anything, was too dumb to make any effort to hide his DNA because DNA doesn't lie. He could see the partners looking at each other, thinking the same thing he was…"yeah, we got him".

It had only been a week, and she reminded him of the way she looked when she first arrived at Anubis: broken. She had been starved again, likely hadn't had anything since when they ate breakfast together that morning before his parents picked him up for winter break.

He almost turned away to wipe his tears, until he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

Her finger twitched.

He knew it would still be awhile before she woke up completely, but that one movement, the first sign of life he'd seen from her in way too long for his comfort was enough for him to release the first sob. He leaned down, pressed a gentle, feather light kiss to her hand and let his tears flow freely. Tears of worry, tears of guilt at not saving her sooner, tears of relief that she was alive.

He sniffled, whispered a quiet "I love you" and finally fell into an emotionally exhausted and much-needed sleep. His chair was pulled as close to her bed as possible, and he didn't leave the whole night, even when the Doctors came into check her vitals and announce that visiting hours were over.

No, he wasn't leaving her, not this time.

Fabian Rutter was never leaving Nina Martin's side again.

 **A/N: I decided that the interrogation scene should have its own chapter because a lot goes down. Plus I ended the last chapter with Bensler, so I'm giving this ending to Fabina.**

 **Next: Dr. Huang's evaluation leads the detectives to dig further into the stepfather's past…and a discovery is made, Fabian notifies Mark, Haru, and the other Anubis housemates on Nina's condition, Elliot finds a way to get in touch with his kids but doesn't like what he hears, and something happens during the interrogation that may result in tragedy.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the plot of** ** _Scarred_** **, though some things in this story will be a little different, the ideas/credit belongs to Definitionofawriter. I also don't own House of Anubis or Law and order SVU because if I did Fabina and Bensler would have been together and Nina and Elliot would never have left those shows. The title 'Father of Mine' is based off the song by Everclear which I heard in the car while planning out my ideas for this.**

 **Warning: This story is dark because of the plot of 'Scarred' and the nature of the cases/investigations the Special Victims Unit handles. This chapter centers around the interrogation scene, which will be intense and some parts may be triggering for some. Read with caution.**

FBI agent and the San Diego Special Victims Unit's resident psychiatrist and criminal profiler Dr. George Huang joins Captain Donald Cragen in his office to observe Detectives Benson and Stabler's latest interrogation and to find out what kind of perp they are dealing with. Detectives John Munch and Fin Tutuola are on their lunch break and will be on desk duty when they return, ready to research and hunt down other leads that may assist in the interrogation and the case overall.

The minute the dynamic duo shut the door, opened the blinds, and in Elliot's case; rolled up his sleeves, which he often did as a way to intimidate suspects, Mr. Martin had already entered his 'nice, professional attorney persona' and both detectives were working very hard not to take any actions that would get them suspended before they had the chance to even talk to him.

"Oh good, you're here, maybe we can get this misunderstanding all cleared up, you can start by charging the Rutter boy for doing this to me and kidnapping my daughter" He pointed to the cuts on his face made by the guitar being slammed on his head. "Then after that, we can get some lunch as I have the afternoon off. My treat?" Olivia swallowed the vomit building in her throat at his grin as he stood up, holding his hand out as if wanting to shake her hand. Elliot grabbed him by his collar and slammed him back into his chair.

"Misunderstanding huh? Let me explain something to you, counselor" He spat out the word venomously. "My partner and I couldn't give a crap about your career or your reputation and we aren't your little puppets that will come to your defense at beck and call because you've won hard cases like your buddies from the 2-7. We aren't gullible enough to feel sorry for you or buy any of the sob story BS you fed to Detective Munch. Maybe that guitar banged your head a little too hard and you lost some of your hearing so let me tell you how things work around here." He grabbed him by his collar again, his whole body shaking with anger and spoke in a low growl, getting right in his face to make sure he could 'hear' him ( **A/N:** **Think of the episode 'Rage', some parts of this scene are similar when Elliot was in the interrogation room with Gordon Rickett). "** You're gonna sit in that chair, and you're going to keep your mouth shut unless you're asked a question and our Captain is outside with a shrink to tell us just how screwed up you are, while our colleagues track down any other leads so we can make sure you never see the light of the day again. If you try to pretend Detective Benson and I are your 'old buddies' or whatever sick charm crap you're playing right now again, I promise you that you'll be in so much pain that those guitar wounds will feel like paper cuts and you'll wanna thank _that Rutter boy_ for going _easy_ on you cause we don't play your sick games in _our_ precinct. You got me?" Olivia leans down next to Elliot.

"You know I thought my partner had his anger problems under control, but I guess I was wrong," Elliot smirked.

"I've had a rough day." ( **A/N: What episode was that from? I feel like it was season 8?).**

He moved to lunge for Elliot, realizing that his façade wasn't going to work this time, but was slightly weaker due to his injuries and was quickly restrained by Olivia who handcuffed him to the table. Before either partner speaks, he looks straight at Elliot, as if he's doing his _own_ psych eval."

"You know it's funny, I don't think you realize that we aren't that different…Detective Stabler." He spat. Olivia pulled the chain of the handcuffs hard, knowing it would cause pain to Mr. Martin's wrists.

"No no wait Liv…I gotta hear this one. How do you figure that Mr. Martin…cause I gotta tell you I've heard that before and I think it's a load of crap-"

"You're angry…aren't you Elliot?" Elliot responds by grabbing the back of his neck and slamming his forehead on the table.

"It's _Detective Stabler_ to you."

"See, we both want that respect…and when-"

"No, you don't get to do this, you don't get to try to equate _my_ anger at scum like you with what you did to your stepdaughter just because we are in a similar _job field-"_

"I work in the DA's office _detective_." The stepfather sneered. "I've seen your file, Gordon Rickett's case? Poor guy, I should have been his attorney, not that sleazy Langan ( **A/N: I don't actually remember who Rickett's defense attorney was but Langan is the only defense attorney whose name I can remember).** There was some police brutality involved if I recall… _he_ sensed your rage like I can…you're no better than we are _Elliot."_ Elliot picked up a nearby chair and raised it near the stepfather's head.

"Uh-uh, detective." He replied in a mocking tone. "As I recall you told Mr. Rickett that he needed to learn to _control_ his anger. I'm curious, how's that working out for you?" Before Elliot could hit him with the chair, Cragen barged in.

"Elliot! Kathy's on the phone."

"I'll call her back later." He gives him an 'I'm trying to keep you out of trouble in more ways than one' look and replies:

"For your sake, I think you should talk to her now."

"Fine, but we're not done here." He throws the chair back down and sends one last glare in the stepfather's direction before leaving the room."

 **X**

"Quite a partner you got there…Liv was it?"

"Did I ask you to speak?"

"He's a little out of control; I must say I'm a little concerned for your well-being sweetheart." The sickly grin returns to his face.

"Shut up!" She sneered.

"He scare you Liv? He ever get rough with you? They should change his name to 'unstabler', man's a little off his rocker…if you could even call him a man."

"It's _Detective Benson_ to you."

"Detective Benson huh? Look at that, a woman thinking she can talk down on and demand respect from a man. You've got more balls than your partner lady."

"Are you kidding me right now?" She scoffs at his clearly misogynistic tone. "I thought I told you to shut up!"

"I know a thing or two about you as well… _O-liv-ia._ " He over pronounces her name in a patronizing tone.

"You know the only thing stopping me from putting a bullet in your skull right now-" She's cut off by the stepfather bursting into laughter.

"Like _you'd_ actually go through with it. You and that whack job partner of yours are the most spineless people in this city." It's not his tone of voice or words that make her slightly uneasy; she's been the only female cop in the unit for 8 years. She's no stranger to sly, sexist comments, especially from the perps they deal with. What makes her slightly uneasy is when she leans down to give him the 'Benson glare' and gets a good look at him for the first time. What makes her uneasy is the eyes that stare back at her, the tone of his skin, and the lazy smirk on his face that are so hauntingly similar to her own. What makes her uneasy is remembering how her mother used to say that she looked more like _him_ than her. The tall height, the dark hair, the brown eyes, and the smirk that any time Olivia showed before making a sarcastic comment to her mother used to send the older woman into a fit of rage and caused Olivia to need stitches more than once. What makes her uneasy is the way the man only known as 'Mr. Martin' appears to see right through her.

 _"_ _I know a thing or two about you as well…O-liv-ia."_ The man before her had said just a few moments ago and it sent a shiver through her spine. She tries to shake the feeling off for now; thinking she must be hallucinating. _He's trying to get in your head, he's a lawyer, he's clever, he's not the first perp to do that. You saw the death certificate, you heard what Simon said. Relax. Do this for Nina. Focus on Nina._ Still, a part of her wanted Elliot to come back in the room with her. She wanted the Captain to come in and tell her that she had been on her feet for too long, and to let Munch and Fin take over the interrogation. She wanted whoever the ADA would be to walk into the room and introduce themselves, She wanted the lab to call with a piece of evidence she needed to see, she wanted Huang to come in and say that he needed to ask Mr. Martin a few questions himself for the psych eval.

She could see that the stepfather was taunting her, daring her to show weakness, but she couldn't back down. No, that wasn't her. She wouldn't let him win.

"You're quite the actor huh Mr. Martin? You ever take a class?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replies smugly.

"You think you're pretty clever too. But I can see right through your filthy persona. I happen to know a thing or two about you as well." He looks…proud.

"I'm a man who knows how to get respect, unlike your insane partner out there, he's an animal. He thinks he's strong, but it's crap-"

"But you _are_ huh? How strong do you have to be to torture your own stepdaughter for 12 years?" She raises her voice an octave, willing it not to shake as she stares him down again. "What kind of man does that Mr. Martin? A smart man or a sick man? Somebody intelligent or an animal? _A man with no control!"_

"You better shut up-"

"Or what? You gonna teach me a lesson? Beat me until I don't speak for 12 years? Beat me till I am in a coma? Torture me till I tell you I'll do what you want? Till every inch of my body is covered with scars so I never forget what will happen if I disobey? Until I tell you I'll be a good girl!?" She slaps him hard across the face.

"You know someone really oughta-"

"Lock me in a closet? Deprive me of food until I 'respect' you? Whip me with your belt till I get on my knees and cater to every sick, twisted, need you have!? You wanna make a _real_ woman out of me don't you Mr. Martin? You want to traumatize me into submission, into your idea of obedience, like you did to Nina." She's screaming at him now, spitting out the words with a venomous rage as she slaps the crime scene photos on the table in front of him. "Go ahead, show me, show me what a man you are you sick son of a bitch! Let's see what you've got, huh? Show me!" She's shaking and knows that she's taking a risk by unlocking his handcuffs. But her mind is spinning with her earlier observation. She has to prove she's strong. She can't show him that he's getting to her. _Someone get in here and interrupt us. NOW._

"Liv!" _Oh, thank god._ Her captain barges in, a brief warning of "cool it down" before closing the door.

Her vision is getting blurry, a dangerous sign of high blood pressure and she must pay attention. She must protect yet another child from being hurt by this monster.

"Yeah, Liv." He says tauntingly, smirking at her. "Why don't you just relax _darling_ , let's just have a nice chat." She can feel the bile rising in her throat. She had never hated Kathy more at that moment for calling because she wanted, no she _needed_ Elliot to get off the phone and come back into the room and she didn't know how much longer she would be able to be in the same room as this man.

"You wanna talk huh? Fine." She slaps another document on the table in front of him. "You can start by telling me why you killed your wife."

His eyes narrow and he responds in a low growl, "How dare you! My wife died in a car crash because of that worthless, weak little girl you're protecting!" His voice shakes with anger, but she knows. She knows that the 'grief' he's trying to portray is an act. He's lost his biggest defense thanks to Detective John Munch's conspiracy-loving mind. Thanks to the document he found that she slapped on the table.

 **X**

Outside the room, Elliot Stabler has finished a stressful phone conversation with his ex-wife and moves to where Cragen and Huang are observing. He's about to go back in; not wanting his Liv to be alone in there for another second, but the captain stops him.

"She's getting somewhere El."

"Cap-"

"I know, I'm not thrilled with her being in there right now either but she's on a roll, and I don't know about you…but I don't wanna be the one to tell Benson to go back to her desk."

"But she-"

"We're watching, if she's in danger we'll get her out of there. We just have to trust her. She wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt your baby Elliot, you know that." He nods but doesn't take his eyes off the sight in front of him, carefully watching, protecting his partner and their unborn child through the glass. Ready to barge in if needed.

 **X**

"What do you think doc?" Cragen asked, turning to Dr. George Huang, who was taking notes while observing.

"He's a classic sociopath and narcissist. He thinks he's entitled to whatever he wants and feeds off the pain and suffering of others. I think he's a sadist, but-"

"Don't tell me you buy his 'grief' crap," Elliot responded in an exasperated tone.

"Do we know for sure that something really happened to his wife?"

"She was killed in a car crash when Nina was 4 by a drunk driver, that's the year he started abusing her."

Dr. Huang pauses for a moment, thinking carefully about his next words.

"Is that when he started drinking too?"

"That's what he says but that guy…I don't trust a word out of his mouth." Elliot looks at the doctor. "You don't look like you do either?"

"The drunk driver was never caught?"

"No, the case went cold." Dr. Huang nods and confirms the same bombshell he can see Olivia about to drop.

"So let's say for a moment that he's grieving, guys like that? Who hate women with that much fury? I'm not so sure he only started being violent towards others when Nina was 4. Dig into his past; see if you can't find a pattern. My guess? he's grieving out of his own guilt.

 **X**

The three men watch in horror as the stepfather, now free of his handcuffs, slips a careful hand into his pocket, pulling out the pocketknife that Fabian had given to Nina and holds it under the table.

"Cap, you gotta get her out of there!" Elliot exclaims, his heart pounding at the scene in front of him.

"We go in there now and he'll be on to us, he won't think twice about hurting her. Give her a minute; see if she can talk him down. She's a good cop."

"I know she is Don, but she's also the woman I love, the mother of my child and if something happened to her-"

"Then none of us would ever forgive ourselves. But we're not gonna let that happen." He pauses for a minute before turning to face Elliot. "Stand by the door El, hold on to the knob if you want so you'll be the first one in. But don't make any noise; we don't want to do anything to provoke him." Elliot swallows nervously before standing guard at the door of the interrogation room.

 **X**

"You're lying, there's nothing there, you're just making excuses for your rage. Trying to show me that you're better than the weak, whiny little brat you and Nina and all you _women_ are." He spat.

" _All_ of us huh? Including your wife?" She picks up what the document from the table. "Cause according to this nifty little police report that conveniently never got filed at the DA's office where you work, 'someone' tampered with the brakes on your wife's car. Know anything about that Mr. Martin?"

"Cars have problems all the time, she would have made it to her meeting safely if Nina hadn't been such a-"

"Her meeting? Is that where she told you she was going?" Olivia scoffs in disbelief.

"Well yeah, for work." But it's a weak reply. She's breaking him down, and he's losing his confidence.

"The cops on the scene were a little suspicious so they got a warrant to look at her phone. They found a _very_ interesting text message that she sent to you shortly before she left the house."

"That's personal! Between me and my wife! You have no right to read those!"

"Is that why you got your buddies to help you hide it and pretend it never existed? So you could fabricate your own story? So no one would know that on the morning of March 16th _your wife_ told you she had _enough,_ that she was going to the courthouse and getting a restraining order for her and her daughter and filing for divorce. She was going to leave you, Mr. Martin! But you weren't having that, so you made sure that she'd crash, _literally_."

"SHUT UP!"

"You disabled the brakes on her car and left in your own. You headed in the direction of the bar, knowing the courthouse was nearby…the courthouse _she_ was going to."

"I'm warning you."

Elliot Stabler could see him grip the pocketknife tighter, aiming it directly at Olivia's stomach from under the table. He slowly turns the knob, careful not to make any noise that could cause the stepfather to panic and hurt Olivia.

"You're an attorney, you've heard hundreds of cases, you knew _exactly_ how to make it look the way you wanted it to so you could get away with it."

"I DIDN'T KILL MY WIFE!"

"You watched for her car to come from across the street, and when you saw it…you barreled down the road, driving like a _drunk_ would. But no, you were completely sober when you slammed into the side of her car knowing that she'd be too busy trying to figure out why her brakes suddenly didn't work to see you coming. Then you got out of there as fast as you could. You drove normally so no one would suspect you. You even gave your sob story to your own precinct, to your friends. Of course, they believed you because there was no way they would suspect one of their own would commit such a heinous act."

"I LOVED MY WIFE! I DIDN'T KILL HER! I LOVED HER! SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME AND HER STUPID DAUGHTER TOOK THAT AWAY! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED HER A LONG TIME AGO, SHE'S LUCKY I LET HER LIVE AS LONG AS I DID. SHE'S LUCKY SHE MADE IT TO THE HOSPITAL; SHE DESERVES EVERYTHING I DID TO HER AND MORE. SHE SHOULD BE THANKING ME!" He roared, and she stepped back, noticing the weapon in his hand for the first time.

"Too weak to hit me with your fists huh? Had to bring in some help?" Inside though, her own confidence was wavering slightly. If it was just her in the room she would have been fine. But she needed out of there. She needed to protect her baby. _Elliot, get back in here. NOW!_

"You've got some nerve lady. Coming in here accusing me of killing my wife. Maybe you didn't hear me, I LOVED HER!"

She opens a folder she had placed on the table earlier and picks it up.

"Yeah, you loved her so much that she filed multiple domestic violence complaints, the most recent one two days before the crash."

"She was having a rough time."

"Rough time what, obeying her man?" She can see the door crack open slightly out of the corner of her eye and she doesn't even have to turn around. She _knows_ it's Elliot. He's quiet, so the stepfather doesn't notice him, but the presence of her partner seems to give her some strength, and hold her steady. "What'd she do Mr. Martin? Did she not have a warm meal ready when you came home from work? Was she slacking on the housework? In the bedroom? Did she not have-"

"We just had a little argument." He said through gritted teeth, slowly standing up as if he might lunge at Olivia, causing Elliot to open the door wider and step inside. Ready to do whatever it took to keep his partner safe. He still went undetected by the man who was staring her down.

"A little argument?" She takes photos out of the folder, slapping them down on the table. "Doesn't look like that's how it felt to your wife, does it? Says here that on the night in question, you broke her nose and fractured a rib because she didn't have your clothes clean and ironed for what was apparently a very important closing argument the next day." He looks almost regretful as if he can explain it away once again as a 'misunderstanding.'

"It was one of the toughest cases I've had, I was nervous and all I wanted was for her to do that one thing. She kept trying to refuse, and say that she doesn't have to take orders from me and I wasn't feeling patient enough to tolerate that disrespect. I lost my temper, doesn't mean I meant to hurt her and I _definitely_ didn't kill her."

"You're full of excuses aren't ya?" She smirks at him with the same smirk that haunted her earlier in their conversation but quickly turns serious again. "My partner and I…we have hard cases too…it is draining being around scum like you all day. But, we talk to each other about it. We don't order each other around or beat on each other to get what we want! That's the difference, Mr. Martin. You think we're like you because we're angry, you think we're weaker than you because you 'know how to get respect' but _you're_ the weak one here. You have to traumatize someone into respecting you because you can't get it any other way. Sounds like someone with a control problem to me. You have to control people around you to get them to notice you. Why is that Mr. Martin? Why do you hate women so much? You're mommy not pay enough attention to you when you were little or maybe she paid _too much_ attention!?"

"Alright, that's enough out of you!" He lunges at her, knife in hand, but is quickly slammed against the wall by Elliot, who she hears growl:

"You ever touch my partner again, I'll kill you, you got that!?"

It takes Olivia a minute to notice, in the midst of the struggle between Elliot and Mr. Martin, who grabbed Elliot by the throat while he was punching him that the knife had clattered to the floor in front of her.

What she also notices, is a small amount of pain, where she can see the knife nicked her stomach slightly when the stepfather dropped it.

"Liv! Oh god, Liv!" She hears, but her vision is blurry from her blood pressure she knows is rising. She stumbles as Captain Cragen, Munch, and Fin come into the room to restrain the stepfather and take him back to the cell, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Elliot scoops her into his arms when she stumbles again, nearly knocking into the table.

"I NEED A BUS IN HERE!" She can hear commotion, footsteps, voices, but they all seem distant. She's breathing heavy, and terrified of what's happening.

"Hold on Liv, just hold on baby stay with me. It's alright, you're gonna be alright sweetheart. Help is on the way." His voice is shaking with worry as he cradles her.

The last thing she sees is her partner's wide, fearful, tear-filled blue eyes before she sees darkness and goes limp in his arms.

 **A/N: DUN DUN DUN.** **Longest, most intense chapter I've written, did it live up to the hype ;)**

 **Next one's a little less heated because I'll be in a better mood. Heeheehee. Writing is a great outlet for blowing off steam! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Next: Find out if Olivia and baby Benson-Stabler are ok, we check back in with the HOA side as Fabian notifies the rest of the Anubis crew and Mark and Haru of Nina's condition, and what did Kathy tell Elliot that had him so stressed out?**

 **Until next time my friends, happy Friday!** **J**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the plot of** ** _Scarred_** **, though some things in this story will be a little different, the ideas/credit belongs to Definitionofawriter. I also don't own House of Anubis or Law and order SVU because if I did Fabina and Bensler would have been together and Nina and Elliot would never have left those shows. The title 'Father of Mine' is based off the song by Everclear which I heard in the car while planning out my ideas for this.**

 **Warning: This story is dark because of the plot of** ** _Scarred_** **and the nature of the cases/investigations the Special Victims Unit handles. Some parts may be triggering to some. Read with caution.**

 **Important A/N: I also do not own Mark, Haru, or their storyline as they are original** ** _Scarred_** **characters. I ask that SVU readers who have not read** ** _Scarred_** **or have only read the first few chapters please keep an open mind about their relationship…and also about Mark, who if you've read to** ** _Scarred_** **'s chapter 4, seems like the last person who should be portrayed the way he is in this. I get it; it was hard for me to give him a chance too. But, without spoiling the events in** ** _Scarred (although this scene DOES have a few spoilers)_** **…keep reading, he has his reasons. I promise.**

He couldn't sleep. The images Mark Hampton saw when he, Haru, and Fabian arrived at the house where Nina used to live with her stepfather were burned in his mind. He lay silently, not wanting to disturb the man next to him; but he knew he wouldn't be sleeping until the girl who had unexpectedly become a good friend woke up in her hospital bed.

Of course, Haru always reminded him that he himself was not a stranger to abuse, having dealt with beatings from his own father for years. But when Mark heard everything Nina had been through and saw the condition she was in…it was in a way more horrifying than what his father had done to him.

He had told Haru after the Stepfather's visit during Christmas, the first time the 2 of them had met the monster and heard everything Nina went through, that it wasn't the same. He was _beaten, yes, but what she went through was torture._

What he had heard haunted him, and made him feel disgusted with himself for his own actions towards her. _All I did was make it worse._ After the Christmas incident, he had struggled to process everything.

This though? Seeing one of his best friends, though he didn't know if she saw him that way yet, barely clinging to life on her bed, and then hearing that she was in a coma…was even more horrifying than just hearing a description of her injuries.

The guilt was back with a force too.

She told him she forgave him, but he hated that she had to do that. Why did things like this have to happen to someone with such a good heart? She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to be hooked up to god knows how many wires and tubes keeping her alive as she slept. She didn't deserve the constant pain, nightmares, or fear that she had. She didn't deserve for that fear and pain to be continued when she got to England because of him and his disgusting former friends at Osiris house. Sure she forgave him because she's Nina. Sweet, giving, pure good, stronger than most Nina who's been through way more hell in her 16 years than anyone should ever have to. Mark knew, however, that he wouldn't forgive himself, not for a long time if ever.

He wanted to kill her stepfather. In fact, he would have joined Fabian in beating him if he hadn't been stuck on crutches. He hated himself though, for doing nothing, because he felt like he had failed his friend. He felt like the only way he deserved her forgiveness was fighting the man who had been the source of her pain since before he knew her.

His guilt had kept him from going to see her for the first few days. He didn't think he had the right to. But, she had been there for him when he was fighting for his own life, so it was the least he could do for her. He had just gotten out of bed and pulled on a shirt when Haru stirred in his sleep.

"Do you have to think so loudly Mark? It's 7:00 am." He complains, but his tone is lighthearted.

"Sorry man, surprised you could hear it over your snoring." Mark jokes back. Somehow Haru Yeung had found a way to hold him above water despite the darkness that invaded his mind and wanted to sink him. He both loved and hated him for it. Haru rolled his eyes before continuing.

"You going to see Nina today?" Mark sighs.

"I don't know if I'm ready, I want to be there for her but-"

"It's not the same as if she were awake?"

"Does that make me selfish?"

"Selfish? No, I mean I get it. I wasn't sure if I was ready to see you in the hospital either, it's hard. I think it would mean a lot to her though."

"Thanks for the guilt trip." But his tone was teasing.

"I just think if you go, even though she can't talk to you it's better than not going and regretting it. She needs people who care about her around her right now, yeah she's got Fabian, but you've become an important part of her life too. Don't discredit how much your friendship has grown, it was never expected to but it did." Mark gave him an 'I know your right but I hate admitting that look'.

"You going to?"

"I'll come by later, now? I need to sleep. Your thinking kept me up all night." Mark catches the pillow Haru throws at him and both men laugh as Mark finishes getting ready and heads out the door. Despite being nervous about seeing Nina in the condition she's in, his conversation with Haru gave him some strength to get through the morning.

 **X**

 **Greenview Hospital**

Fabian Rutter had only seen the man he knew as Detective Elliot Stabler one time, and it was when he and his partner, Detective Olivia Benson were at the hospital to ask him questions for Nina's case. It was very unexpected, therefore, to see the tough looking, no-nonsense detective in the hospital chapel that morning. A place where Fabian had gone every day to light a candle for Nina on his way to breakfast, before returning to her bedside. He wasn't a super religious person, no, but he had seen the family of other patient's doing the same to honor their loved ones. He didn't want to leave Nina out. He wanted to find as many ways to show how much he loved her as he could. Usually, he was the only one there first thing in the morning, but today, in the front row with his head in his hands was the detective from the other day. Fabian noticed, however, that the detective who told him he could call her Olivia, this man's partner, wasn't with him. He had an uneasy feeling, wondering if he should make his presence known and ask what happened, especially when he heard a sob from the cop who referred to himself as a 'hothead':

"Father if you can hear me, I know I've made some crappy choices in my life, my ex-wife had no problem reminding me of that on the phone." He tries to laugh but it came out as a sob. "But please don't take them, lord, don't take my Liv or our baby they…they don't deserve this. Don't let this monster take them from me. I know I don't deserve them, heck I didn't deserve any of my kids but"…Another sob. "Olivia is everything to me…she's everything and I'm a useless sack of crap without her, father I really am. I know I didn't tell her enough, I know I wasted the first 7 and a half years of our partnership that I could've told her how much she meant to me and how much I love her. But I-I've been trying to fix that. We're so happy now father, and we-A sniffle, and he wipes his eyes before continuing, tears still flowing. "Livia, she's…she's always wanted to be a mother, but the doctors never thought she'd be able to get pregnant. This little one is our miracle, you gave us a miracle and I'm begging you to not take that away. I know there's probably about a million things you should punish me for, but don't take it out on Liv, please…if I lost them I…I c-can't." His harsh, heart-wrenching sobs fill the chapel and it reminds Fabian of the many tears he's shed for Nina at this hospital. Somehow he knows, he knows that they are both in that chapel because the ones they love were hurt by the same man and he wants to reach out to the strong, but tender-hearted detective but he doesn't. Knowing that Elliot needed time to grieve and pray for his Olivia, just like Fabian did for his Nina.

So he walked to the back quietly, lighting an additional candle for the female detective, who even though he didn't know what happened, he knew she had sacrificed herself for Nina in some way, and he wanted her to be ok too. Then he went back to the cafeteria, poured a cup of coffee and put a muffin on the plate with a note just saying 'For Detective Stabler' and set it next to where Elliot was kneeling at the altar. He knew how awful it was to be alone and in pain, and after what they were doing to help Nina, it was the least he could do.

 **X**

"Mr. Rutter?" A voice says from behind him as he is walking back to Nina's room. The word 'mister' again makes him want to cringe. He turns around and sees that it's a nurse from the desk across from Nina's room.

"Yes?" He can't help the uneasy feeling in his gut, wondering if something happened to Nina while he was eating breakfast and watching Elliot Stabler pleading for his partner's life in the chapel. Wondering if he shouldn't have left her to begin with.

"Relax sir-"

"Fabian."

"Fabian, nothing happened while you were gone I promise. Another young man came by to see Miss Martin but I told him he would need to wait in the waiting room until you returned." He figured it was probably Mark, but as an effort to protect Nina from anything else, he asked all the nurses and doctors that he'd seen to not allow anyone in the room unless he was there with her.

"He say what his name was?" She looks at her clipboard.

"Yes, it was Mark, Mark Hampton." He finds it ironic that he sighs in relief at the name when just a few months ago hearing that name would have struck him with worry, dread, anger, and hatred.

"Oh yes, that's fine, he can come in." She nods.

"Ok, I will go let him know."

"Thank you."

Mark entered the room a couple minutes later.

"How is she? The nurse wouldn't tell me anything."

"She's still in a coma but thankfully not getting worse. The doctor said her brain activity looks good and they were able to get the swelling down so…at this rate, she should be able to wake up soon. They want to keep her under for another week to make sure her body is recovered enough because of the pain she will be in, which I get but-"He trails off and Mark responds.

"The waiting is killing you?" He nods, not taking his eyes off Nina as he holds her hand gently and sits in the chair next to the bed.

"Amber called me this morning. I've been so focused on Nina that I haven't checked my phone; they've been trying to get ahold of me for days, my parents too." He sighs painfully before continuing, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I can't tell everyone everything, not by myself. I told Amber and Mara since they know about the abuse, and I told my dad because he had suspected but…Amber and Mara are going to tell the rest of them that Nina got hurt and that they all need to come to America, and we're going to tell them together. As much as I don't want to betray Nina's trust, people are going to find out anyway and I would rather it be from people who love her than people spreading rumors."

"Have you met the detectives working her case yet?"

"Yeah, a man and a woman, names are Olivia and Elliot. I think they might be husband and wife. They're from the Special Victims Unit and they seem to be good people. Thankfully they're not affiliated with her stepfather at all…in fact; I think her stepfather did something to Olivia when they were questioning him."

"You think he-"

"I went to the chapel this morning after breakfast to light one of the candles for Nina, and Elliot was there. At first, I thought he needed to talk to me for the case, but then I heard him talking about his partner and how he couldn't lose her and saying 'don't let that monster take them from me'."

"Them?"

"She's pregnant. He was a wreck. I don't know what happened to her but whatever it was, Mr. Martin did it. I'm sure of it." The name makes him sick to his stomach.

"He hurt a pregnant cop? What a piece of-" He's cut off by his phone ringing and leaves the room to answer it when he sees who it is.

 **X**

"Detective Stabler?" His heart nearly stops when he sees Olivia's doctor standing in front of him and he's on his feet immediately, spilling the coffee someone had left him earlier. He couldn't eat the muffin though; his fear for his partner and child took away his appetite.

"Please tell me they're ok." He's shaking with nerves.

"You're wife and daughter are both going to be just fine." He feels like he could collapse from relief, and it takes him a full minute before realizing what she said. She's called Olivia his 'wife' before and they've never corrected her because they mean so many different things to each other that it didn't matter how you labeled it. Their bond was unbreakable and had been for their entire 8-year partnership. The other thing though:

"Wait. Did you say-" The doctor smiles, knowing how excited the couple was for the gender reveal that they had an appointment scheduled to hear in just a couple days.

"You're going to have a little girl detective, and she's going to be the luckiest princess in the world having you two for parents." He can feel tears in his eyes as he grins and his heart bursts with pride. Knowing the gender of their baby makes everything seem so real, and it's the best thing he's heard since Olivia's terrifying collapse at the precinct the night before.

"Is Olivia awake?"

"She's resting right now, but we got her blood pressure down, it was getting dangerously high after her panic attack." In the 8 years since he's known Olivia Benson: she's been hit on, threatened, stalked, and even assaulted by perps, even in the 4 months she'd been pregnant and hadn't shed a tear. She was the toughest person he knew, so hearing that the interrogation caused her to have a panic attack severe enough to land her in the hospital worried him greatly. "I know your wife isn't gonna like this-"

"Trust me, our captain is putting her on desk duty for protection until after our daughter is born and even if he wasn't, I would." Her doctor smirked.

"Ah, so you'll be the one to break the news and deal with the 'Benson wrath' then?"

"Well if it were up to me she'd stay home resting and wouldn't get near the precinct or any of those creeps. She's great at her job, she's the best but I'm so terrified of something happening to her." His overprotectiveness kicking in as it always did when it came to Olivia.

"She's lucky to have someone who cares for and loves her as much as you do." The doctor smiles and Elliot wipes a couple tears he didn't realize were falling and smiles back.

"I'm the lucky one."

 **X**

When she wakes up, her vision is still a bit blurry but clearing slowly, and she hears voices outside her door, feeling relief wash over her when she realizes her partner is one of those voices. She realizes she's in the hospital; though it takes her a minute to realize why and a spike of fear shoots through her when she notices the bandage on her stomach and a monitor keeping track of their baby's heartbeat. An ultrasound is also next to the bed, but she's scared of what she might see or more what she might _not_ see.

"El!?" She calls out to him, knowing he's the only one who can ease her fears and hold her steady.

"Elliot!" Both he and the doctor turn when they hear her shout and Elliot is by her bedside immediately, taking her hand in one of his and resting it on her bump and cradling her face with the other before kissing her softly on the forehead.

"El." She sighs, relaxing with the comfort his presence always gives her and he rests his forehead against hers and strokes her hair, kissing her on the nose to soothe her.

"I'm here sweetheart, everything's ok, I'm here."

"Our baby?" She can see tears in his eyes and she fails to hold back a sob before he can respond. "Oh god-" He realizes he took too long to respond and she had feared the worst. He wraps an arm around the back of her neck to help her sit up and moves onto the bed; pulling her into his arms and rocking her against his chest to calm her first, not wanting her blood pressure to become high again. Her eyes are squeezed shut and tears are flowing freely.

"Shhh it's alright honey, she's alright. Our little girl is gonna be just fine, she's safe, it's ok." She sniffles and looks at him when she realizes what he'd said.

"wait-" He breaks out into a grin when he realizes what she is asking.

"We're having a little girl Livia." His own tears fall down his cheeks. "See, there she is, just growing and enjoying the warmth of her mommy's tummy." He points to the ultrasound screen she had been scared to look at earlier and she sobs from relief.

"Oh thank god, I was so scared El when I realized he had that knife in his hand and had cut me I was so scared." She buried her face in the crook of his neck, seeking warmth of her own.

"I was too. I'm so sorry Olivia I never should have left you in there alone." He cradles the back of her head, helping her lean on his shoulder.

"Elliot it wasn't your fault, he's a maniac. You had no idea what he was going to do. Plus I've still been working since I found out I was pregnant and interrogated several other perps. This one just-"

"Got to you?"

"What'd Kathy want?" She changes the subject quickly, not wanting to think about the man that had put her and his stepdaughter in the hospital for a second longer than she had to.

"Liv-"

"Elliot please, I can't talk about what happened in there, not right now." She didn't want to think of that man's words _I know a thing or two about you as well O-Liv-Ia._ She didn't want to think about how similar he looked to the picture she had seen of the man who raped her mother. She didn't want to think about his smirk and how looking into his eyes was like looking into her own which made her skin crawl and made her want to hide in the safety of Elliot's arms for the rest of the case. She would do this for Nina though because it was in her heart to fight for the victims at all costs. She wouldn't tell Elliot her hunch yet, not until she talked to Simon. She needed answers from him and she was going to get them as soon as she got out of the hospital.

Elliot sighs, not wanting to add to her stress but not wanting her to shut him out either.

"Liv, I know you're not gonna like this but-"

"I'm on desk duty aren't I?" He nods.

"It's too dangerous to risk your blood pressure getting so high again, Cragen's giving both of us a couple days off at home so you can rest and then it's mostly desk work except to talk to victims and their family members and court. No more chasing perps or interrogations."

If it was any other case she would have protested and told him she was fine, that he was being overprotective and she could take care of herself. But she would be a mother soon, and the thought that that almost got taken away from her was enough to shut down any argument she might have had. So she nods and relaxes against his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Have you heard anything about Nina?"

"Her condition is improving but she's not awake yet. I asked the doctor this morning. She still needs to rest." He kisses the top of her head and pulls the covers over them, wrapping his arms around her protectively like a cocoon as they both adjust to lie on the bed. "And so do you." He holds her so that one hand is cradling the spot where their daughter is resting and the other arm is around her shoulders, letting her head rest in the crook of his neck. As if he's shielding his little family from the outside world. She snuggles into him, the familiar feeling of warmth and safety surrounding her. He leans over to kiss her bump and then leans back up to give her a loving kiss on the lips. She rests her hand on top of his on her stomach and both partners smile when they feel the flutter of their daughter's kicks.

"She's always calm when she knows her daddy's here to keep her safe. She knows your voice El."

"Hey there sweetheart." He plants a small kiss to her belly again. Olivia snuggles into him again and kisses him deeply.

"I know exactly how she feels." He returns the kiss and holds her tighter.

"I love you so much, both of you."

"We love you too." She feels a kick again as if their daughter is confirming her statement.

He turns out the light and they both relax in each other's arms. They have no idea what will happen tomorrow. All he can do is hold her and know that for tonight the two loves of his life are safe.

Because if there was one thing Elliot Stabler and Fabian Rutter had in common besides being in the same hospital that night, it was that they would both do anything to keep the ones they loved safe…no matter the cost to themselves.

 **A/N: Well..uh…let's just hope the 'no matter the cost to themselves' part isn't something they will 'ever' have to worry about right? Heehee.**

 **Next: Olivia demands answers from Simon, the Anubis crew arrives; as does the ADA and Fabian is faced with the reality of figuring out how to keep Nina out of foster care.**

 **Also…who was Mark on the phone with?**

 **Thanks for reading! See y'all next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the plot of** _ **Scarred**_ **, though some things in this story will be different, the ideas/credit belongs to Definitionofawriter. I also don't own House of Anubis or Law and Order SVU because if I did Fabian and Bensler would have been together and Nina and Elliot would never have left those shows. The title 'Father of Mine' is based off the song by Everclear which I heard in the car while planning out my ideas for this.**

 **Warning: This story is dark because of the plot of** _ **Scarred**_ **and the nature of the cases/investigations the Special Victims Unit handles. Some parts may be triggering to some. Read with caution.**

 **A/N: I'm splitting the events of this chapter up a bit. Chapter 5 will be more SVU/EO centered and then chapter 6 will be mostly HOA/Scarred/Fabina/Maru**

!BANG BANG BANG BANG!

"Simon it's Olivia, I know you're in there because I saw your car and I swear to god I will break down this door in about 5 minutes if you don't-"

"Olivia? What is your problem? It's 8 am!" She knows Elliot will go out of his mind when he wakes up and reads her note, simply telling him she couldn't sleep and would be back later.

"Are you protecting him?" She's shaking in a mix of anger and fear, her nerves keeping her up all night. It also didn't help that every time she closed her eyes she saw the man who almost killed her baby and looked way too similar to her for comfort.

"Who? And why didn't you call first?" Simon looks confused and half awake.

"You know who I'm talking about, you were defending him like crazy when we first met...is that why you lied and said he was dead? So you could continue with the perfect life you had with the perfect father and not face the reality of who he really was?" They are both angry now, and he yells back at her.

"You think I LIED to you!? Why would I tell you my father was dead if it wasn't true? Maybe your mom is the one who lied!"

"SHUT UP!"

"I know my father Olivia-"

"Apparently not as well as you thought."

"He DIED, I showed you the death certificate! What more proof do you need?"

"How can I trust you, Simon? After-"

"After what? After I was FRAMED for a crime we both know I didn't commit?"

"Just because you didn't rape Captain Millfield's sister doesn't mean you're not covering for our father, maybe-"

"Oh my god this is unbelievable. I told you I would never lie to you. Why would I lie to my sister?" There are tears in his eyes now and she wants to believe him...she almost does, until Mr. Martin's face pops back in her mind. She pulls the mugshot from the case folder from her purse and lowers her voice. Her voice is shaky and there are tears in her own eyes.

"You're right, you know your father. You know what he looks like better than I do. So I want you to look me in the eyes, and tell me that this man." She holds the photo up so he can see it. "Tell me that he looks nothing like the man you knew as your father. That he looks nothing like the man you said has been dead for 10 years. Tell me that and I promise I will let this go." She wants him to deny it; to tell her she's crazy and that there's no way this is him. She wants him to tell her that he's dead and that she was stressed and paranoid and that's what led her to think that 'Mr. Martin' was their father. So when Simon's eyes widened in terrifying recognition and he backed into the wall, an "Oh my god" slipping from his lips, Olivia couldn't hold back the sob she put her hand over her mouth to suppress.

"I didn't lie to you Olivia, I promise I didn't." She shakes her head, unable to form words, tears streaming down her face. "I honestly thought he was dead, I came home from school one day and he was gone, we had no idea where he went. A few days later the death certificate came in the mail."

"In the mail?"

"Yeah, we, he had seemed depressed for a long time. We thought maybe he had gone somewhere to die not wanting to burden us. I promise Liv, we had no idea, I just assumed when I saw the death certificate."

"It's not your fault Simon you, he knew how to play people. He was living god knows how many different personas. You had no way of knowing he would fake his own death certificate." Simon's face is a mix of guilt, betrayal, and anger and at that moment he decided he was never defending his father again.

"There's something I should have told you Olivia, and I'm sorry it just didn't come up at the time." Her voice is quiet and trembling when she responds.

"Tell me."

"There was never a body. We never had any kind of funeral or burial for him it was just like he stopped existing. We had no idea of the location of where he died or anything, just the certificate. Mom tried to look him up but it was like 'Joseph Hollister' was never a real person. He was just... _gone_." There's a pause before he continues.

"Wait, how'd you come across him?" He realizes that the picture he saw was a mugshot...from the Special Victims Unit where she worked and clenches his fists, his anger at the man he thought he knew so well growing quickly.

"What did he do Olivia?" She shakes her head, trembling like a leaf and trying not to hyperventilate.

"You don't want to know Simon. It would destroy you. It would destroy every memory you had throughout your childhood."

" _Fake_ memories! He was a freaking fake! Please, Olivia, I just found out my whole life was a lie, please tell me who that is. Tell me what he did. Did he hurt you? Your baby? Someone else?" She can feel herself on the verge of a panic attack and tries to control it, not wanting to put herself back in the hospital. Her voice is tear-filled when she chokes out a response.

"He-he tried to attack me while we were interrogating him."

"Are you ok!?

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Elliot got there in time. I-he got to me. He got into my head and I...he looked so much like... _me_ and my skin was crawling and-" She sobs and he helps her sit down as she tries to control her breathing.

"It's alright, he's not here now. He can't hurt you."

"That's nothing, Simon what he did to me in that interrogation room? He's done so much worse and it kills me to tell you that but this man, he's not who you thought he was and not just because of the fake death certificate. He's going away for a really. Long. time."

"For your mother's rape?" She takes a breath before responding and holds the photo up again, shuddering when she sees the familiar eyes.

"This man has been living under the alias of a defense attorney named Mr. Martin for 12 years. He has no first name on record and refuses to tell anyone. About 3 years after you received the death certificate in the mail he married a woman named Hanna who had a young daughter named Nina."

"Is-was that the Nina Martin they were talking about on the news this morning." Olivia manages a nod before continuing.

"On the outside, he put up a persona that they were this _perfect_ family. No one would have suspected a thing." Simon swallows a lump in his throat.

"But on the inside?"

"He was a cruel, sadistic, misogynistic husband who hated women and his wife was no exception. He told me when I was in that room with him that he was trying to 'teach her obedience and respect'"

"Oh my god."

"If she didn't do something he asked or if she did or said something he didn't like and tried to stand up to him he would beat her until she gave in. He traumatized her and she put up with it for months."

"What about her daughter?"

"He left Nina alone at first because he still had Hanna to kick around. She let him because she wanted to protect her daughter. But then-" She hesitates, unsure if she should tell him the rest.

"I believe you, Olivia, I'm done defending that sicko, you can tell me. I promise."

"During one of their last fights Hanna ended up in the hospital and that was the last straw. She filed a police report and sent him a text telling him she was going to take her daughter, leave him, file for divorce and get a restraining order." He knows where this is going, and as scared as he is to hear it, he knows he needs the truth.

"He killed her Simon. He tampered with the brakes on her car so she'd crash and he made it look like a drunk driver killed her...but it was him."

"Why was he never caught?"

"He got his co-workers to help him cover the whole thing up and kept the reports from being filed. SVU never got the case as it was kept at his own precinct. Munch found out when we got Nina's case."

"Nina's case?"

"Her abuse started after he killed Hanna. He wanted to make her believe it was all her fault. That he was grieving and that's why he tortured her for 12 years. That's how he kept control of her, by making her believe she was the reason her mother was dead and that she had to be punished."

"What a piece of-" He's cut off by his phone ringing, for the 3rd time in the half hour Olivia has been there. He silences it without looking to see who it is.

"Is...is the Nina they were talking about on the news this morning, that is in a coma because she was almost killed by her stepfather is that…" His own voice is trembling.

"That's her." They sit in silence for a moment, her not wanting to talk any more about their father or what he did to Nina, and Simon too afraid to ask.

"I-I need some air."

"I'm sorry for accusing you of lying and then putting all this on you Simon I just-"

"It's not your fault I just...this is a lot to process."

"I know." Her voice is barely above a whisper, and it's when he pulls her into a hug, his own tears falling that she breaks into sobs and starts to hyperventilate.

"Hey, hey breathe Liv, slow and deep, I don't want you to hurt yourself." She's sobbing inconsolably. The guilt and terror eating her alive. His apartment phone rings now and then shuts off suddenly. It's only a few seconds before he hears pounding on his door and a frantic voice that both soothes and scares Olivia at the same time.

"Simon? Simon, it's Elliot, Olivia's Elliot. Is she there? Have you seen her? I've been trying to get ahold of her for over an hour and I'm really worried about her she just got out of the hospital yesterday and the doctor wanted her to rest and..oh god. She-she left me a note and I thought maybe she went to get coffee or went to the precinct but no one has seen or heard from her and I know I sound crazy and irrational right now but-" He pounds on the door again. "Please open the door, please I'm losing my mind."

"You didn't tell Elliot you were coming here?"

"I wanted to be sure before I told him anything and honestly I'm scared to tell him. Why would he want to be with a woman who came from that monster? Why would he want to have a child with her?"

"SIMON! I swear to god if you are holding her hostage in there and you don't answer I will break down this door and search without a warrant until I find her." They hear from the other side of the door before either can continue.

"My neighbors are going to hate you two, it's barely 10:30." Simon chuckles lightheartedly as Olivia shouts back to Elliot, trying to hide the tears and shakiness from her voice.

"I'm here El! I'm ok." She can almost feel his sigh of relief from inside the apartment.

"Thank god baby. You scared me." She looks at Simon, her teary eyes pleading with him to open the door. The worry, love and tenderness she heard in Elliot's voice were enough for her to push away her fears for a moment. She needed her rock. She needed his comfort, his warmth, his safety after everything she found out that morning. Elliot Stabler was her constant, her steadying force, the one thing she could count on and the only thing that made sense at the moment. He rushes over to her the minute the door is opened and checks for injuries, turning back at Simon with a darkening gaze when he sees that she'd been crying and was still trembling slightly.

"Did you hurt her?"

"No, god no we were just talking, we figured something out and...well I'll leave that up to her to tell you." He turns back to Olivia, cradling her face gently in his hand and wiping some stray tears. She leans into his touch. She hated feeling vulnerable but at that moment she wanted nothing more than for him to hold her and tell her how much he loved her while they felt their daughter kicking under their intertwined hands.

"What happened, baby? What's the matter?" His voice is so gentle and filled with so much compassion that she almost tells him but all she can get out is:

"Can you just hold me? Just take me home and hold me?" Her voice is small and broken and so unlike the woman, he knows as his partner that it scares him.

"Oh, honey-"

"Please El, I don't want to talk about it right now, I just want to go home and I want you to hold me because you make me feel so safe and right now-" He can feel his heart break for her when he hears those words. He turns back to Simon.

"If she so much as implies that you did something to her-" He's cut off by Olivia.

"Elliot it wasn't anything he did I promise. Please just take me home." He pulls her into a protective embrace as they stand up.

"Exactly what I came here to do." She snuggles into him; an action that warms, but worries Elliot. He knew something had to really be wrong for her to voluntarily depend on him and admit she needed him without shouting 'I'm fine, I can take care of myself' or giving him a death glare for helping her.

 **X**

The ride back to their apartment was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Olivia was no longer crying and was mostly ashamed of how vulnerable she had been. Not because Elliot would be upset about it, no, she knew in her heart that he would love her no matter what. She hated that she felt like she had given the man she was now almost certain was her father the satisfaction of reducing her to the weak, needy image he believed all women would be. It sickened her to the core that this monster had that effect on her. That the idea of finding out she had some of his genes turned her into a frightened, frail woman who had clung to her partner and begged him to hold her. Begged him to protect her and shield her from the world. Elliot wouldn't see it that way, he'd hold her as long as she needed and take care of her no matter how much she protested. But, that didn't make her any less disgusted.

"Ok Olivia, what's going on."

"I'm fine El, I just had a rough morning that's all." He shook his head in frustration and pulled onto a side road. Then he got out of the car and sat in the back, motioning for her to join him.

"That's not gonna work on me Liv, you know that. It might work on someone else but I know you too well to fall for that." His tone is frustrated but his eyes are filled with concern.

"Elliot-"

"Come here."

"El I promise if there was something wrong-"

"You'd tell me? Good, come here."

"El-"

"You wanted me to hold you, so we are going to sit in the back of this car and I'm gonna hold you while you tell me what's going on."

"I said I want you to _take me home_ and hold me."

"I will. As soon as we figure this out and I know you won't hide to avoid the conversation."

"I'm not gonna-"

"Are you forgetting how well I know you? He teased, his tone softer and less frustrated but his expression was serious and filled with love and concern. "Come here, honey." Her partner's gentle coaxing, such a strong contrast from the way the man her and Simon were talking about addressed _his_ wife, caused tears to prick in her eyes. She didn't deserve Elliot Stabler. After what she found out. After _who_ she found out she had genes from? She didn't deserve for any man to love her; especially not as strong and with as much passion and loyalty as Elliot did. There was also no way she deserved the child growing inside her either. How dare she think she had the right to be a mother? Despite this though, she was terrified of losing Elliot because she knew that no one would care for her the way he does. So she sat in the back of the car with him and tried to keep her distance. She was dirty, she was damaged, and as painful as it would be wanted to tell him to go back to Kathy. At least his life was normal then. She tries to hide her tears, but Elliot, knowing her as well as he did, could see them anyway.

"Was it something I did Liv? Are you upset with me about something? I'm sorry sweetheart, I really am for whatever it was. I promise you if you tell me I will fix it." _God, why did he have to be so wonderful? It made knowing she needed to let him go a harder task to accomplish._

"El." She sniffled.

"Was it-was it the phone call the other day from Kathy? You're scared I'm going back to her because I wouldn't tell you what she said? That's never gonna happen, baby. Never. You and our little girl are my world. I don't want to be anywhere else." His arms were outstretched and if not for the discovery she had made that morning about herself she would crawl into them and stay in his arms for as long as she could.

"It's not you Elliot, I promise."

"Then why do you not want me to hold you all of a sudden? What's the matter?" She turns away from him, knowing that one look into his eyes would cause her to give in, but she couldn't do that to him. He had wasted so much love on her and she was ruining his life whether he said so or not.

"Because I don't want you to think I'm weak and fragile. I shouldn't be so clingy."

"Did Simon tell you that? Because he's an idiot and I'd like to-"

"No, no he didn't." Letting out a sigh at her stubbornness, he changes tactics.

"Ok, well what if I need to be comforted? Can I hold you for _me?_ You really scared me this morning Liv."

"Why?"

"Why? Because I love you and I thought something had happened to you. I was worried sick Olivia you should have been resting. You just got out of the hospital! What on earth were you thinking!" He's raising his voice at her now, but she knows it's because of how protective he was of her.

"I don't answer to you Elliot. I don't need a babysitter and you're not my father!" She snapped; although, she'd prefer him to the alternative.

"No I'm not but I am the father of our little girl and one of us has to look out for her well being cause-" Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Go ahead Elliot, tell me what a horrible, careless mother I am. Go ahead."

"OLIVIA!"

"Come on, we both know that's what you were gonna say."

"Is that what you think of me? Do you really think I'd say that Liv?"

"Well I didn't think you'd ever say that you needed to know I can do my job without needing to be _rescued_ either but you did. Yet you keep trying to coddle me when I DON'T NEED YOU!" She regretted the words as soon as they slipped out, but the damage was already done.

"Then why am I here Liv?" They aren't looking at each other now, but she knows she hurt him.

"You tell me."

"I thought we discussed all this after you got back from Oregon. I didn't mean anything I said during the Gitano case. I told you that. I don't know why you suddenly don't trust me."

"I trust you, I just don't need you hovering over every move I make."

"You don't trust me enough to tell me why you thought it was a brilliant idea to leave the house after barely getting any sleep and not tell me where you're going a day after being in the hospital for a panic attack that caused dangerously high blood pressure do you?"

She knew she was doing it on purpose. She was pushing him away. Making him mad enough at her that he would leave her on his own and she wouldn't have to tell him why.

"Have you ever thought that it's your fault I was in the hospital? Maybe I'd be less stressed if you didn't-"

"Didn't what? Take care of you? Love you? Put my life and career on the line to protect you?"

"I DON'T NEED YOU TO TAKE CARE OF ME!" She sobbed. "Don't you get it? I don't need you! I don't want you, and I thought I made that clear when I left!" Dead silence. "Just go back to Kathy Elliot. Go back to Kathy and leave me alone." There are tears in his eyes; she knows this without looking at him because she can hear the emotion in his voice.

"That's what you want? You want me to go back to a loveless marriage? You hate me that much for being worried about you?" _God no, I could never hate you. I hate myself for doing this to you._ "Kathy's marrying Peter Olivia. She wants an annulment of our marriage and sole custody of our kids. He's gonna adopt _my_ kids and strip me of all my rights. That's why she called the other day. _That's_ what you want me to go back to?" _Nice job Olivia, you just gutted a heart that was already breaking. You gutted the only heart you could count on. You gutted the heart that had your back for 8 years. The heart that truly loved you. Way to prove what a monster you are._

"We're coworkers Elliot. Let's just drop this so we can solve the case ok." Coworker. She called him her coworker. Not _partner_. Not even friend. Forget gutting his heart, she shattered it.

"Coworkers? Thought we figured out a year ago that we were a lot more to each other than that." His voice is broken and she wants to hold him the way he had tried to hold her earlier but she knows she shouldn't. _They_ had broken.

"Guess we were wrong." Her voice is shaky and quiet as she tries to hold in more sobs at the damage that had been done to the relationship that gave her a reason to keep breathing. He's silent as he moves back to the front of the car, starting to drive in the direction of their apartment.

"Elliot-"

"If you want to hate me, fine. But you're gonna hate me in our own apartment where I know you'll be safe. I won't bother you, I promise but I'm not gonna pretend I suddenly don't care Olivia and I'm not abandoning our daughter just because you've suddenly decided to abandon this relationship and act like it means nothing to you which we both know isn't true." She was too ashamed to respond but felt a tug on her heartstrings at the fact that he was mad at her and she had crushed him but he still wanted to make sure she was safe. It made her feel worse for how she treated him because she knew the love he had for her was extremely rare and she had taken it for granted. "I don't know why you're pushing me away, but what I do know is if you keep pushing people away in order to avoid talking about what's really bothering you; someday you won't have anything to catch you when you hit the bottom." It was an empty threat, he knew, because no matter how hard she pushed he would never leave her. He just couldn't. "So if you want to go back to Oregon, to Porter or whatever the heck you're trying to do then fine. But I'm not giving you up without a fight and I'm not giving our daughter up either. We still have to work together too, or IAB will suspend both of us for not keeping our personal problems out of the job."

They walked into their apartment in silence and before she could react he was packing things into a duffel bag. She couldn't hold back a sob when he walked out of their bedroom and headed for the door. Her guilt at taking her fear and stress out on the only person who loved her unconditionally increased when instead of yelling at her again or just walking out the door without a word, he gently cradled her face in his hands and wiped her tears. As if she hadn't just shattered his heart.

"I'm not leaving you, Olivia. I know that's not what either of us wants. I would never leave you, but I am giving you some space to find out what you really need. I'm gonna stay at a hotel for a few days, and I want you to call me when you're ready for me to come home so we can talk about what's really going on, what's really hurting you."

"El-"

"Look at me. You may have decided you suddenly hate me for some reason I can't figure out-"

"I don't-"

"I'm not the one who runs Olivia. I'm not. I didn't go to computer crimes or Oregon when things got tough." His tone isn't accusatory, just matter of fact. "But no matter what, no matter how hard you push me? I will _never stop loving you. Never._ I'm _always_ going to love you even if you don't feel the same."

"Elliot." Her tone is pleading and comes out as a sob.

"I know. I know sweetheart, but maybe you're right. Maybe I am coddling you too much-"

"El-" He places a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"There are some new vitamins on the counter, you were running low so I stopped and got you some more. Take care of yourself ok? _Please._ " She nods, feeling her heart break because he's still taking care of her, he still loves her and he shouldn't have to. He won't when he knows why she's really upset. "I love you, you hear me? That's not gonna change. I love you more than you will ever know Olivia Benson and when you're ready to talk. Call me. I'll be here." He gives her a soft kiss on the lips before turning away.

And then he was gone, and she was alone. She felt cold, she felt exposed, she felt empty without him and it made her realize just how important he had become to her over the years. She should have just told him. She should have at least let him hold her because she was the one who wanted him to in the first place. He may forgive her but she would never forgive herself.

it's not even two minutes later that her body is wracked with the sobs she had tried so hard to hold in, and as she felt her daughter kick, reminding her that she was there, she tried as hard as she could to hold onto the hope that her reaction to identifying her _own_ father hadn't broken her relationship with her partner beyond repair. Because she loved him, and she needed his love to keep her sane. She _needed_ Elliot Stabler no matter how much she tried not to depend on him. She just hoped she would have the chance to prove that to him before it was too late.

 **A/N: Sorry fellow EO shippers, there had to be** _ **some**_ **drama after Olivia received that news, knowing that the stepmonster is her father isn't something she could just accept and fall apart in his arms and tell him. But hopefully they will work things out ok, I mean they're Benson and Stabler..they can get through** _ **anything**_ **together right?**

 **Next chapter, since this one was longer than I had planned it, will be mainly HOA/Scarred centered, and then we'll check back in with the SVU squad in chapter 7.**

 **Thanks for reading :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello my dear loyal readers, it's been a busy month but I finally have things taken care of and my mind is clearer to write. This chapter is HOA/Scarred centered mostly and then chapter 7 will be the SVU squad...then back to the combined format, I had been writing at first.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the plot of** _ **Scarred**_ **, though some things in this story will be different, the ideas/credit belongs to Definitionofawriter. I also don't own House of Anubis or Law and Order SVU because if I did Fabian and Bensler would have been together and Nina and Elliot would never have left those shows. The title 'Father of Mine' is based off the song by Everclear which I heard in the car while planning out my ideas for this.**

 **Warning: This story is dark because of the plot of** _ **Scarred**_ **and the nature of the cases/investigations the Special Victims Unit handles. Some parts may be triggering to some. Read with caution.**

 ***Note: A few spoilers from various chapters of** _ **Scarred**_ **in this chapter.**

Fabian Rutter had no idea how they did it. He had no clue how the detectives he had met were able to look family members in the eyes and tell them that their loved one had been killed, or was in the hospital, or kidnapped. It was the worst part of the job he was sure, and they had been doing it for years. He admired that strength, because telling Amber Millington the 'police notes' version of what happened to her best friend over the phone and that she needed to get everyone to America as soon as she could was a conversation that would haunt him for as long as he lived.

And now, the two of them would have to tell the rest of their housemates, Mr. and Mrs. Miller, and the Rutters the horrific story they had known themselves for months, and he wasn't sure how in the world he was going to get through it.

Because Detective Fabian Rutter of the San Diego Special Victims Unit was definitely not him. No, he'd leave that title to Elliot and Olivia.

He was just a high school student who was in love with a girl who was fighting for her life and had been through hell.

So how he was gonna get through this conversation without breaking down? He didn't have the slightest idea.

He was pretty sure Amber, Mark, and Haru didn't either.

They were all on a flight right now: his parents, the Millers and Eddie, Amber, Mara, Jerome, Alfie, Patricia, Joy and even Mark's mother was flying in. The last one surprised him, but she was no stranger to abuse and neither was her son. If she wanted to come to show support it didn't bother him, though her son may feel differently.

Right now though, he sits beside Nina's bed in silence. Mark and Haru had gone to lunch and tried insisting that Fabian go with them. He needed to eat and get some rest. He was no good to Nina if he ended up in a hospital bed himself because he didn't take care of himself. But, he couldn't leave her, not for a second, because the last time he left her ended up with her getting kidnapped and ending up in this condition. He was going to protect her this time and he wasn't gonna fail. It would take extreme force to make him leave cause there was no way he was leaving willingly.

The beeping of the monitors are mocking him, telling him that she's alive but that could change at any minute and he had no control over that fact.

"Hey, darling." His voice is soft and gentle, filled with love and concern because if she _can_ hear him he wants her to feel comforted, warm, safe. He holds her unbroken hand in his, hoping he isn't causing her any more pain. "The doctor said you might wake up soon but that you still need to rest. I miss you and I hope that doesn't take too long, but I don't want you to be in pain either. I promise you that when you are able to come back to me that I'll be right here and that I'll protect you. I'm not leaving Nina, never again. Mark and Haru are here with me already and everyone else is gonna be here soon. We're gonna get you patched up and take you home. I know that it's gonna be rough, but you're not alone anymore sweetheart." He sniffles but doesn't hide the tears in his eyes. "You're the strongest person I've ever known, and that's how I know you will get through this. Please wake up, please come back to me. I can't lose you, Nina, I just can't. I love you way too much." He was surprised at how easily the words 'I love you' slipped from his lips now because it had taken him a long time to work up the courage to tell her. "I feel like you deserve to know this and it would be wrong for me to keep it from you. I love you and there's a lot of people who care about you, who are gonna support you through this. We have to tell them, Amber and I have to tell the rest of our housemates and some other people what happened but they aren't going to judge you. They want to help you just like we do." He pauses before continuing as if she's awake and he's nervous about how she'll react to the next part. "Your stepfather's in custody and there's a case opened now. I don't know when the trial will be yet but...I met the main detectives working your case." He swallowed hard, she wasn't conscious, but he still felt the need to break the news gently; to keep her calm. "I know how you felt about going to the police and you know I want to respect your wishes when I can but I couldn't...he could have killed you, Nina. He deserves to pay for what he did which we both know and I know that you're nervous...about him getting off or about you having to go to foster care but-" He takes a breath. "Your stepfather liked to pride himself in his connections to law enforcement and I know he's used that against you but I hope that you trust me enough to know I made sure to find the very best. The ones that he couldn't influence. These detectives...they're from the Special Victims Unit and they deal with-" _child abuse and rape, but he felt too sick to say the words when the girl he loved was fighting for her life on the hospital bed in front of him._ "They deal with uh...cases like yours. There's a man and a woman who I'm pretty sure are married, I'm sure Amber will gossip about that." He says lightheartedly, needing a bit of humor to calm his nerves, his grief, his sorrow. "They have absolutely no affiliation with _him_ whatsoever. They want to help you, Nina, they care about you and they want to see your stepfather fry like he deserves, they'll fight for you, I've only spoken to them a couple of times but I know that much. Their case closure rate is the highest in the city, higher than your stepfather's even. Um-" _You should probably tell her about the fact that the male detective can be a muscular hulk of rage at times and the sight of him will probably scare her at first so she'll be prepared._ "Their uh...their names are Olivia and Elliot-" He knew she wouldn't automatically trust them just because he told her about them, but he was counting on her trust in him, counting on her knowledge that he knew about them to know that they were safe and that even if they weren't he would protect her. Before he could say anything else, his phone buzzes with a text from Amber.

 _Landed at the airport, what hospital and what room is she in?_

He texted her the details and she replied that they would be there as soon as they could. A wave of emotion hits him. Relief that he won't be alone but fear if he will be able to handle it. Fear of reality setting in. Fear for Nina when she wakes up and has to face everyone knowing. Fear for the trial. He could only hope that when it was all over they were taking Nina home, back to England. Back to safety. Back to where she is cared for and loved the way she deserves to be. He hoped the detectives were as good as they seemed to be and would keep their promise. He also hoped Olivia was ok but didn't want to think of what the stepfather may have done to her. He could only imagine given the horrible things Nina went through.

Then there was the other thing that had been in the back of his mind but that he knew would come up. Foster care. It was one of the things that scared Nina into staying quiet about the abuse. The idea that she would be shipped from home to home and never be able to return to England, to the people she loved. He hadn't met with the adoption agent yet. He wanted to ask around those they knew. See if anyone she was familiar with in England could take her in. He wouldn't ask his parents, only because it would be awkward given the growth in their relationship. But, _surely_ there was _someone._ The most likely family would probably be the Millers. She had a great relationship with Eddie and while trusting adults was still something she was working on, Mr. and Mrs. Miller were familiar to her.

He leaned back in his chair, still holding Nina's hand gently, and sighed. He would worry about all that later. Now, he would continue watching over her and protect her from whatever monsters lurk outside her hospital room while he waited for everyone to arrive.

 **X**

Cancer. That's what Mark Hampton's mother had said over the phone. Her voice lacking emotion as she said the word. His father, who was the source of his nightmares for the past 16 years had been diagnosed with lung cancer in the prison's hospital ward. His first reaction was to ask her why the heck she told him. Was he supposed to care? Was he really supposed to care about the man who had brutally beaten him and his mother every day of his life? Why did _she_ care was what he thought about snapping at her but he remembered the last conversation they had, how cruel he had been to her. Haru's voice popped into his head as it always did when he needed to calm down; "She was a victim too Mark. She has to work through the healing process too. He's all she knew for a long time despite how he treated her. Of course, she would find out he was sick." Instead, he said "Oh." His mother, Diane, stunned by the calm reaction had said that she only told him because his father didn't have a will, and when he died...the court ordered that his wife and son because of what they went through would inherit every last filthy penny. It was restitution. It was hardly enough to make up for the years of pain and fear Mark and his mother had suffered. **A/N: I have no clue if this is actually possible or legal cause I don't know a lot about finance but uhhh for the sake of this story we'll pretend it is.**

The physician at the prison had given Mr. Hampton 3 weeks to live because he had been diagnosed late and the cancer was spreading fast. Mark thought darkly that the man was cancer himself, and the scars he left were permanently spread all over him and his mother. The doctor had asked Diane if she wanted to see her estranged husband one last time before he passed. She hung up instead of answering, tired of hearing the doctor speak as if nothing had happened between the two and they were just a normal married couple. She and Mark would not be returning for a last goodbye, he deserved every ounce of suffering he got. Mr. Hampton wasn't getting any sympathy, not from them. Monsters are meant to be destroyed.

"Mark? You ok?" Haru asked, looking up from his lunch and noting the expression of the man across from him.

"Yeah. You know what I'm fine. Let's head back over to the hospital. The rest of Anubis landed about an hour ago and should be there soon if they aren't already."

"If you need to talk-"

"I know man, I know but...this isn't worth my energy to tell you. Let's go back to Nina." Haru knew that if Mark didn't want to talk he wasn't going to. But the expression wasn't readable which concerned him.

"Mark, who was on the phone?"

"Wrong number."

"M-"

"Just drop it Haru. Drop it."

"Fine, but you're buying lunch." He teased in one last effort to get Mark to talk to him.

"Got that covered."

"Can I at least ask-"

"You can but I won't answer."

"Fine. Let's go." Haru sighed as they headed back to the hospital.

 **X**

It doesn't matter how much information someone gives you to prepare you for what you're about to see when you see someone you care about in the hospital. It doesn't matter if you've had a pretty clear idea of what they've been through all their lives for months. When they got to Nina's room, the doctor told them only two people at a time could go in. Amber and Mara, being the ones along with Fabian who knew about the abuse went in first. Neither of them bothered to wipe the tears that pricked their eyes or hold back the gasp and sob that followed.

Fabian, who was slowly waking up after finally being wiped out from lack of sleep, stood up when he saw them enter.

"Hey, guys." The 3 of them looked at each other, unsure of what to say or which one should speak first. Fabian had explained things to them over the phone, but standing in the hospital room seeing their friend hooked up to more wires and tubes and machines than they cared to count, made everything more terrifyingly real. This was happening. Both of them were nervous to approach her, she looked so fragile, she looked like she did when she first arrived at Anubis except it was worse because now they saw her as a friend, a best friend, in Amber's case. A good friend who almost died in a horrific, violent, brutal way.

"Is she-" Amber's voice was shaking as she spoke, Mara, who only knew a brief outline about the abuse, still couldn't bring herself to speak.

"The uh, the doctor said her vitals were improving so she's doing better than when we talked on the phone. They were able to get the swelling down in her brain and she's able to breathe on her own. She could wake up any day now but they... _god this was hard_...they said that because she had lost so much blood and because of the swelling in her brain they couldn't say for sure what lasting damage she could have." There was something detached about the way Fabian spoke. As if he was talking about someone other than Nina. As if he was a doctor listing off facts about a random patient. A detective giving the outline of a case. Internally though he wanted to scream.

"Lasting damage?" Mara finally spoke.

It was something Fabian refused to think about and at first didn't even realize he had said it. He just wanted her to wake up. He would love her through anything that came after. She could get through it. The doctor had told him that morning that he needed to be prepared when she woke up just in case. He would be. He'd be by her side no matter what. He knew Amber and Mara would see through him if he had just simply told them she'd be fine.

"With the injuries she had the uh-" his voice cracked as he pushed himself to say the words. He avoided their eyes, it would be too painful and he had to get through this. Now was not the time to break. "The doctor mentioned a chance of memory loss, paralysis-"

"Oh my god." A dam broke, and all 3 friends found themselves hugging each other in a steady stream of tears.

"But there's only a _chance_ , right? She might be fine!?" Fabian glanced over at Nina and immediately hated himself. _You inconsiderate idiot. How could you hint that she might not be ok while standing in her hospital room? You love her! You're supposed to believe in how strong she is. OF COURSE SHE WILL BE FINE, physically anyway. What if she could hear you? What if you made her think you thought she was weak? What if you made her think her Stepfather successfully broke her beyond repair and even you couldn't help her. You really need to learn when to keep your mouth shut._

"Yeah. Yeah, she-she will be. The doctor said just in case but she's a fighter...she-"

"We know Fabian, we know," Amber says comfortingly, giving him one last hug before pulling back.

Fabian stepped back to allow the girls to approach Nina's bed. Amber stood on one side and Mara stood on the other.

"Can she hear us?" Mara asked Fabian, but she was looking at Nina. There was no movement, but her heart rate picked up slightly.

"Her doctor said that was a possibility, based on how quickly she's improving, that she can recognize our voices." The 3 are silent for a minute before Amber gives Fabian a bittersweet smile, tears pooling in her eyes.

" _Your_ voice Fabian. We haven't been here. You've been by her side every second you could. You've been talking to her, loving her, protecting her. She's fighting for _you_. She's coming back so she can be with you. You're her missing piece. You make her feel whole, and she's never had that in her life. She loves you and she knows you love her even though she can't tell you right now. You're healing her more than you know." It's Mara's gasp that causes the pair to turn to Nina...only to see a lone tear trailing down her scarred cheek. "See?" Amber's voice cracks, holding in a squeal at the sight, tears flowing down her own cheeks. "You're the medicine she really needs. It's not the doctors bringing her back...it's _you._ "

Fabian said nothing, but walked over to the side of the bed and leaned down, kissing away the tear on Nina's cheek gently before pulling Amber into a friendly side hug and exchanging a small smile with Mara who was in the chair on the other side of Nina's bed.

 **X**

They stayed in the room, just the 3 of them, for a little longer. Amber and Mara each taking turns saying a few words to Nina. Mara promised that she and Mick with their knowledge in physical health and fitness would help her with therapy so she wouldn't have to be alone with a physical therapist. Amber promised Nina that when they were all back in England she would take her shopping when she was ready and buy her all new stuff so she could have a change in wardrobe. So she didn't have to spend another second wearing clothes that reminded her of what had happened, so she could really have a fresh start and never have to return for her things if she didn't want to. Fabian had mentioned, though not wanting to step a single foot back into the house Mr. Martin owned himself, that she may want some of her art supplies and books. Amber said it would be up to her but all 3 were more than willing to buy her new art supplies as well. Whatever it took.

The girls reassured Nina that she was still their friend and that wasn't going to change. Fabian promised her he would be back in a bit and told her he loved her quietly as if worried talking too loud would hurt her, and to try to avoid Amber squealing to the whole hospital. She didn't squeal, but the smile on her face went from ear to ear, and he could tell she was holding it in. Mara, while also smiling at the sweet gesture rolled her eyes at blonde...who was so invested in 'Fabina' it might as well been her _own_ relationship.

The waiting room, thankfully, was only full of their friends. This would be a hard conversation, and none of them wanted to have it in front of strangers. Fabian's parents: John and Rebecca Rutter, along with Diane Hampton, Eric Sweet, and Diane Miller; and their son Eddie, had gone to the hotel. The kids could explain everything to them later...but, for now, it was just their housemates, Trudy, and Mark and Haru; who had pretty much become a part of the Anubis crew anyway.

The group turned to the 3, silent but in anticipation before Patricia broke the ice.

"Can someone _please_ tell us what the hell happened? _How_ did it happen?" Her 3 housemates appear hesitant, which only increases the nerves in the room. Joy puts a hand on her shoulder.

"What Patricia means is…" She swallows hard. "Is-is Nina going to be ok?" Trudy, who had felt nothing but guilt at telling the stepfather where Nina went the whole plane ride shakily joins in.

"Was it _him?_ Did he do this? Oh my god, I never should have answered the door." There are tears in her eyes, and her face is ghostly pale.

"He..who?" Mick asks, sharing a look with Mara, almost afraid to know the answer. Jerome and Alfie are silent but listening intently. Mark and Haru, already aware of what is going on give a reassuring glance to the trio. Providing the friends with the moral support to get through this.

"You guys we-we're really sorry, we know this is coming as a shock but-" Amber said...unsure how to begin.

"You guys were closer, you knew her better, obviously she told you stuff she hasn't told us but...we care about her too. We all do." Alfie spoke up, casting Amber a pleading look.

"Can you just tell us if she's ok?" was Joy's shaky response.

"She...she will be," Fabian replied, and could feel the relief sweep through the room. "Because of the injuries she came in with the doctor's placed her under a medically induced coma but she's slowly waking up."

"What happened to her?" Trudy asked.

"Fabian...whatever it is...we want to be her support system too. We're her friends too. Please, don't leave anything out." Patricia said. Fabian swallowed hard, knowing he needed to tell them, but worried he wouldn't be able to get through this conversation. Amber and Mara placed supportive hands on his shoulders as he stepped forward.

"What do you want to know first?" His voice shook slightly but his stance was strong.

"Who did this, and can we kill them?" Mick all but growled. He didn't know as much as Fabian did, but he knew she had been abused, he knew she had been traumatized. It was why he wanted to teach her self-defense techniques. Why he had taken on the role of her physical trainer. Despite the fact that she still wasn't comfortable with being completely alone with him yet...he had begun to see her as his sister. As someone he wanted to protect. The thought that someone was responsible for all of the pain she had suffered as well as her current comatose state made him furious. The 3 were slightly surprised at his reaction...Fabian noting that Mick almost reminded him of Elliot Stabler, the male detective working Nina's case who had a reputation as the 'precinct hothead'. They knew however that Nina had a strong impact on them all, they all cared for her, and they hoped they could help her see that.

Fabian took a deep breath. He knew there was no turning back now.

"The um...abuse as you've probably guessed has gone on since before she came to Anubis…" He looked at Trudy, and his heart cracked at the thought that the answer wouldn't erase the guilt she felt, but confirm it.

"It's her stepfather...isn't it?" Fabian was staring at the wall because it was too painful to look at his housemates and whichever one of them had just asked that question.

"Yes." Was what he choked out after a moment of hesitation. The reaction was instant. Trudy's sob was loud enough for the reception desk to hear and a nurse came over asking if everything was ok. Joy and Patricia let out tearful exclaims of "Oh my god." Mick looked pissed. Jerome and Alfie's normally joking demeanors were replaced with sadness, guilt, and anger. There was not a single dry eye in the room. Not a single one.

Fabian wondered once again how the SVU detectives were able to have conversations like these with family members and friends of the victims so often because it was one of the hardest things he had ever done.

"Arsehole. I'm an utter arsehole." Patricia said with a mixture of disbelief and guilt. Jerome, who under any other circumstances would have snickered at that comment, shakes his head and squeezes her shoulder. "You had no way of knowing-"

"The things we said to her…" Joy shook her head, remembering those first few weeks, and hated herself. "God I knew something had happened but...to know the abuser was that close to her. We treated her like scum, she was so scared and we made it worse and it's all she ever knew. Pain and fear were all she _ever_ knew."

"Guys stop. The only person to blame here for what happened to Nina is her stepfather, I'm not going to deny that we weren't the most welcoming-" Mara started.

"Weren't the most welcoming?" Patricia scoffed. "Mara you aren't the one who tried to scare her away from trusting Fabian. You _definitely_ aren't the one who poured water on her in front of everyone and exposed her darkest secret! How many times throughout her life do you think she has dealt with that huh!? Being shamed for the abuse? I thought it was fake, I treated her like she was just trying to get attention. Sure she forgave me but what I did-"

"What _we_ did Tricia, I'm not innocent here either." Joy replied.

"That panic attack she had in front of all of us at dinner? Was because of _me!_ Fabian was yelling at _me_ to stop being such a jerk and something that was said triggered her." Patricia growled and Fabian was struck with the unpleasant memory of the words.

 _Shut your mouth or so help me I will force it shut myself._

"I was evil! I was...I might as well have been a female version of her stepfather and I can't believe she can even stand to be around me."

"She wasn't as scared of you as she was of us...because we're guys," Alfie commented darkly.

"Oh can it Alfie, yeah maybe that was a factor but you were _nice_ to her! I was...I was...deplorable." Patricia cried and it was then that her housemates noticed the angry tears of guilt and shame on her cheeks. Patricia rarely cried, and when she did it was serious.

"How long has this been going on Fabian?" Trudy asked shakily, unable to listen to the guilt of the rest of the house any longer. In her mind...Nina's current condition was her fault. _She_ answered the door. _She_ told Nina's stepfather where she was. She might not have hurt Nina, but it didn't stop her from feeling like the blood was on her hands.

"After her mother died. He uh...he started beating her when she was 4." He choked out. His eyes were squeezed shut and bile was rising in his throat. It had been hard enough telling the detectives what happened. Telling the people who had been his friends for years was heart-shattering.

"What do we...what do we need to be prepared to hear at the trial?" Mick asked, after a pause. Fabian is hesitant.

"What did he do to her?" Alfie cautiously continued. That sentence was Jerome's breaking point.

"SERIOUSLY ALFIE!? Are we really going to pretend we don't know? Why else would she have had a panic attack in our room while we were shirtless and laughing in front of Amber!?" He growled, his own guilt beginning to consume him as Patricia's guilt had consumed her.

"I-"

"He _raped_ her Alfie!" The words making him sick when he spat them out. Alfie jumped, the dark rage coming from his friend wasn't something he was used to and he was beginning to feel guilty himself as he remembered that night. "And we sent her into a freakin' flashback all because we just _had_ to pull a stupid prank on her roommate at 4 am, wake her up and be too freaking stupid to realize what was going on. All because we couldn't even have the decency to put clothes on when we saw them. Sure we can go on and on about how we had no idea…" He scoffed and shook his head before continuing, tears in his own eyes. "In her mind, though she was back in that house...back with-"

"Jerome...you _scared_ her, you didn't rape her...you didn't even touch her. And you _did_ have no idea she would react that way." Amber replied as the haunting memory came back to her.

"SHE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS US! For all she knew she was about to be... _assaulted_ again." He couldn't bring himself to repeat the word he had spat at Alfie. "She dissociated from our room. She was with her stepfather again. We. Did. That. To. her." He gritted, shaking with disgust at himself.

"If we're gonna sit here and play the blame game...I'm the one who treated her the worst! None of _you_ shoved your tongue down her throat in drama class even though she was terrified of even a simple touch! None of _you_ threatened her if she didn't go out with you. None of you dragged her to a party, and let your friend drug her and assault her. He probably would have done worse if _Patricia_ hadn't been there to save her! If anyone should feel guilty? If anyone should hate themselves it's ME!" Mark roared and the room fell silent. Haru put a hand on his shoulder giving him the strength to continue. "But you know what...we can fight with each other, we can blame ourselves and each other all day long. NONE of that is going to help Nina! NONE OF IT. The only one to blame for the last 12 years of hell is her stepfather. Yeah...some of us did and said some really crappy things. But she…" His voice cracks and the housemates are surprised to see him shed a tear. "She forgave all of us, god knows I didn't deserve it but she even forgave me. The fact is that we ALL care about her, we all see her as a good friend and if we are going to support her the way we all want too...the way she deserves? We can't break ourselves down or each other. We have to be united. If we're going to hold her up, we have to be steady ourselves. No one in this room is responsible for what her stepfather did. _He_ is. He WILL be taken down...but she's gonna need solid ground to get her through this. We are the most durable rocks she's ever had...if we're gonna be there for her to lean on, we have to stay durable, we can't be crumbling. We have to remember that no matter what happened...we're the ones responsible for her RECOVERY, not her DESTRUCTION."

Jaws are dropped at the speech that had just come from Mark Hampton's mouth, and Fabian, Amber, and Mara flash him thankful smiles.

"Mark is...right," Fabian said after a few moments, a part of him thinking he never thought he'd be saying these words. "All we can do now is move forward." He looks at the clock. "Visiting hours are almost over but...I'm sorry that this was all dropped on you guys like this. I promise we will keep you updated. The trial date hasn't been set yet but we're meeting with the ADA this week." They were also meeting with an adoption agent, but he didn't have the heart to say that yet. Not after the emotional conversation they had all just had. It was too much for one evening.

He could feel a weight lifting off his shoulder at getting it over with, but held his own guilt at the pain it had caused his friends. He knew though, that now that everyone was on the same page...her stepfather didn't stand a chance. Nina was a part of their family now and that's how they would get through this. Together. As a family. A force nothing would be able to break.

 **X**

He had fallen asleep right away that night, the events of that evening taking every last ounce of energy he had. When he woke up that morning it was 9:30 am, the most he had slept in days. The nurses had already made their rounds and the room was silent.

Until he heard a pain-filled groan that definitely didn't come from him.

 **A/N: She's waking up? We hope so right:) I hope that this nearly 6,000 words chapter made up for the delay.**

 **Next chapter is the SVU side, gotta resolve some things before we combine the shows again.**

 **With a terrifying discovery weighing her down and her relationship with Elliot on the rocks, will Olivia tell him the truth? Can the partner's work things out? Or has the stepfather successfully cracked the 8 year bond of our favorite perp-busting, crime-solving duo?**

 **Till next time :) Thanks for reading!**


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